A few months ago I got my second tattoo. The words “be still” are now permanently
inked on my right shoulder blade. As I
was telling the tattoo artist what I wanted, he verified that I didn’t want “and know” to be part of the piece. I told him that the two words were all that I
needed. Most people know this phrase as Psalm
46:10 that says “be still and know that I am God.” This verse speaks to many and has gotten them
through times they feel they cannot go
on, so I’m not discouraging it. For me,
though, the “be still” part is what I was after.
The older I get, the more I am drawn to nature. Over the past couple of years, I’ve also
gotten into running. The most perfect
thing in the whole wide world to me is a nice long run on a quiet, tree lined trail;
no one around but the birds and flowers.
Now granted, I run with music (still haven’t managed to give that up
yet), but there is just nowhere in the world I would rather be than out in
nature, experiencing it. When the run
is over and the ear buds come out, it’s just me and the trees…and there is something
so beautiful about that: just standing there taking in the beauty that God
created.
This is what the words “be still” mean to me. In addition, this is the one time that I am
forced to slow down. If you know me at
all, you know that I’m a ‘doer.’ I have
to be busy. I enjoy being busy. I do,
but at times, it’s exhausting. Not necessarily physically exhausting, but more mentally exhausting. I get so
wrapped up in things and projects that my mind gets overwhelmed. It’s very hard for me to just sit still when
my head has a list 3 miles long of things that need to be done or
finished. Running is my way of getting
away from that. When I’m running, my
mind turns to the bigger things in life.
I don’t know if it’s the extra oxygen being flooded to my head, but
instead of laundry and dishes, it starts to wander to life and what’s really
important. That clarity for the 45 minutes (or longer depending on the miles)
is truly addicting.
Little did I know that these two little words would continue
to take shape and mold into something even greater. Life is crazy. Life is hard. It’s beautiful, yes, but it’s
also extremely hard some days. In the times
when life isn’t easy, when it’s not all butterflies and roses, when it’s maybe
easier to throw your hands in the air and give up, be still. Be.
Still. Be still and rest in
the fact that you may not know some things….and that is okay. Rest in the beauty that good things take
time. Those trees that bring me so much
peace and joy take years to grow. You may only be able to see one step in front
of you, step anyway. Breath in, breath
out…repeat.
“Wisdom comes once we
learn to become still…In the silence of the heart, one learns the journey of
the wise.”
No comments:
Post a Comment