I've observed recently that people are moving about their days in a hurried fashion. Even at the beach. Parents are dragging kids by the wrist hurriedly off to the next vacation activity on the list. Mom and Dad, dual income households, trying to jam a years worth of family time into one vacation week. It seems everyone is oblivious to the state of our country.
My fear is that we have become so numbed to the really crazy things of this world that we may miss the most Holy things. None of us are remembering Gods call for us to "Be still and know that I am God".
I must admit I've been quite guilty of this. Summer break is almost over and I never once truly slowed down. I caught some gorgeous sunsets. Saw some beautiful seascapes. Visited with some dear family and friends. But not once did I take an entire day, weekend, or week to just be still.
Jesus went out into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days. Moses climbed the mountain top to hear from God. Noah turned the buzz of the world off to build His ark. I'm pretty sure the enemy has bamboozled us into a constant feeding frenzy of activities, social media, and to do lists. If we stay busy with irrelevant (in the big scheme of things) activities then we forget what it's like to actually hear the Holy Spirit. If we don't hear Him we forget about Him. We tend to create our own ideal of values, morals, and principles (or lack there of) versus relying on God's will for our lives.
My entire childhood our family vacationed on an island every August. No phone and no TV. We had the ocean, summer friends, and absolute freedom to be kids. That month we swam, boated ( is that a word), sailed, had nightly bonfires, and piled into the neighbors wood paneled Ford station wagon to get ice cream after dinner. The Soviet Union could have bombed the U.S. and all of our little summer village families would have had no clue.
To this day my brother and I both will testify those 18 summers were the best thing about our childhood. We soaked up every single minute. And when we weren't there? We dreamed about our next stay. Even as a child I was acutely aware of Gods glorious waves, His sunrises, His sunsets, and His endless starry sky.
There is absolutely a reason that the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus said:
"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."-Matthew 18:3
Children comprehend the wonder of the world. They have a sense of right and wrong. They observe the hurriedness of their parents. Ever witness a melt down of a toddler? Without fail it happens when you are right in the middle of something you think is vitally important.
The crazy train of meetings, homework, dance, ball practice, parents association meetings, church committee meetings are all getting ready to begin. Take a deep breath. Ask God to carve out a piece of your day to commune with Him. To be still and recognize His majesty.
"even the winds and the sea obey Him"-Matthew 8:27
