Be Still: Focus on the Family

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We’ve advanced so much over the years with technology, yet I believe that we are raising a generation that is so used to being stimulated technologically that they don’t know what it means to be present and soothed by their own thoughts or imagination.  Honestly, even the noise of the television bothers me. (Unless I’m watching Scandal, of course.)

Before 8 o’clock this morning I was blessed to watch 2 shows that I had recorded previously.  And twice I heard the phrase, “Be still”. 

Eckhart Tolle said, "Silence is the language God speaks and everything else is a bad translation."   In The second show, with Iyanla Vanzant, she simply said to “Be Still and Listen”.  Oftimes, it’s the quietness that is comforting, transformative and exhilarating.  It is that place where you can be with one with yourself and with God.

I thank God for that word of being still this morning, though I didn’t realize it that I would need to use that stillness with my own family.    We were set to travel a few hours for spring break and we had planned to leave at 8:30 am.  Well of course, that time came and left.  I had to finish washing clothes and find someone to keep the dog, since our kennel was booked.  Because my hubby has a cold, is dealing with allergies and is not feeling his best, he was ready to cancel the trip, or at least wait one more day before leaving.  Now my normal self would have been combative and ready to challenge him, but that still small voice said to keep my mouth shut.  I simply said, ‘okay’, but I continued to pack and get the boys ready.  After a while, I quietly went over to him, hugged him and started kissing his jawline.  I asked, “Are you hesitant to travel because you're not feeling well?” To which he replied,” Yeah I just don’t feel well, I need to sleep”. (You wouldn’t know this, but we were set to travel during Christmas last year and cancelled at the last minute, only for him to spend the entire week of Christmas in the hospital with 2 blood clots in his lungs.  Needless to say, I understand his hesitancy.)  I kept moving around and just had to be prayerful………..silence.  Well by 12 noon, we were all in the car ready to travel.  I was behind the wheel, so that he could get some rest.  I listened to an audiobook, while he slept and the boys had their phone and iTouch.

Silence, yes?

Not really because my youngest son wanted a hotspot, so he could turn on Netflix and my 13-year old was listening to music on his phone and text messaging from the moment he sat down in the car. 

Yes the car was quiet, but everyone was not still!

Their eyes were squinting as they watched a movie on the tiny screen and their ears were overly stimulated because the little dings, which allow you to know that there is an incoming message, kept interrupting the music that played.  Constant stimulation!  Good grief! Something has got to shift, I thought as I was driving.  And shift, it did.

We stopped for a break, to eat and stretch. Well my 13-year old did something to upset his father and I was given the opportunity to hold his phone for the rest of the drive. (Lucky me!)   This was our segue into stillness.  When we re-entered the car, I told my younger son to turn on his audiobook and my 13-year old had to make penance, so I told him to just close his eyes.  Immediately I noticed that my younger son had stopped fidgeting as he listened to the audiobook, because he was becoming one with the story.  And wouldn’t you know it; my 13-year-old fell asleep.  No phone and he fell asleep.  No little dings and he fell asleep. No tiny screen and he fell asleep. No texting and he fell asleep.  Stillness and he fell asleep.

This showed me two lessons. 

1.  As a wife, sometimes the best thing to do is just be still. My husband needed to work through his own anxiety and all he needed from me was to be supportive and still.  (I must admit that I have missed this mark several times in the past.)  My calm and my silent prayers allowed room for God to work. 
2.  As a mother, sometimes you have to be creative. With one child, I used technology but it was done with an audiobook, which still allowed him to use his imagination and become a part of the action.  With the other child, I had to put my foot down (actually parent) and take away the very thing that hindered him from practicing stillness. 

I praise God for that early morning word of stillness.  It prepared me to make an impact on both my husband and children.  As you go throughout the day, be sure to practice stillness so that you can pass it on to those around you.  When you are centered, those that come in contact with you must align themselves to your space and aura.

Now walk it out…