Be Still

Be still (cease striving) and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Psalm 46:10, 11

Over the past few weeks I have had an unusual amount of down time, way more than what I am accustomed to. Things were so back home had been so busy those last months but especially the last three weeks I was in Texas before I left for Virginia, I had very little free time as there were people to see, trips to make and things to get done. The past three weeks here have almost been polar opposite, I get off work and have nothing, and the weekend comes and goes…nothing. At first all this “free-time” was unnerving but I have grown to appreciate it and I am sure as things pick up and the semester heads into full swing I will miss the “free-time.” Truth be told, I think that sometimes being “busy” is a status statement, as to say that we are important, connected or whatever it is that we want our image to be. What I have found recently is that silence in the stillness is uncomfortable as well, at times. Just as we manage to find things to keep us “busy” we also manage to surround ourselves with noise, to the point that silence is awkward. Even though I have had more free-time than normal I still find myself looking back and asking where the time has gone…lots of wasted time. Not that any of the following is bad but really is it the best use of my time? Facebook? (justified in that this is probably the number one way that students communicate and so I stay connected), stalking Phelps in the Olympics, shopping on-line for good prices on flights home (this is not a waste of time), etc…

Sometimes I am just a slow learner but I think it is sinking in this time. I guess it is true that life experience is the best teacher. Be still…