Be Still and Know....

There's nothing quite like stopping and being still in amongst busy-ness. Purposefully resting while all else around you continues to move at a rapid pace. Behind my house, along the river, there is a beautiful big tree with a humble wooden bench sitting beneath it's branches. I love this bench. Hundreds of people walk past this bench every day. They're usually in a hurry; with somewhere to go, someone to see or excess fat to burn. When things are particularly busy, I will often walk to the river and lie down on this bench for a little while. People stare at me like I'm mad. Seriously, they walk past with their heads turned, wondering if they should throw me a $5 note or perform CPR or something. The temptation to stare back at them with my eyes crossed and my tongue hanging from my mouth is very great, yet so far I have resisted. There are far too many negative connotations tied to people who lie on benches. During exams about a year ago I walked down to the river to lie on this very bench. An elderly man, probably nearing his seventies, was walking past on the pathway and stopped in his tracks once he caught sight of me. Still standing on the pathway, not daring to come any closer, he called out to me "What are you doing?". I had been enjoying a lovely daydreaming sess and was a little startled by the sudden interruption. I sat up quickly and explained that I hadn't heard what he had said. Still refusing to venture from the path of safety, he called out again "What are you lying down for? Are you knocked-up or something?". Ouch. I explained that I was taking a study break and felt a little tired, and he turned on his heel and marched off, muttering angrily under his breath about how ridiculous it was for a young person to be lying down during the day.

This wasn't a particularly encouraging encounter, but I still love that bench. It is hard and lacks pillows, so there is no risk of me falling asleep, yet it is still incredibly peaceful. Sometimes I feel so overjoyed by all of the wonderful things that God has blessed me with, that the most appropriate response to this seems to be to stop and rest in the knowledge that I am His child. Just to be still and know that He is God. For people who do not share this same joy, that is an odd thing to do. Why would you stop when there is so much to do? So many people to see? So many things to achieve? Yet there is so much value in just stopping, and being still, and praising God that He is good even when life is overwhelmingly busy. For those of us who are students, things are particularly busy at the moment. I suppose the purpose of this blog is to encourage whoever is reading this to take the time to be still. Just stop. Rest. Find peace in the knowledge that we are loved unconditionally. That God is in control. Please know that I say this knowing that I myself do it very poorly. Scheduling in rest feels like an odd thing to do when there is so much work looming over my head. But it is essential. There is nothing more energising than acknowledging that we are living for something far greater than the busy-ness of this world.
On that note.. I'm off to do some last minute revision for today's exam. All the best for those who are drowning in the dark and murky Uni waters at the moment. Remember that it is Christ who sustains us, and whatever we do is for His glory.
Peace out, rock on, yada yada yada... :)