Be still

Tonight I was reminded of an important lesson...to simply be still and listen.

Miss Placid is at the stage now where she has so many questions and so much to say...all the time. In the fast pace of life it is easy to brush her off when I am too busy with a simple, "mmm-hmmm.." or yes or no answers, without actually listening to what she is saying. Most of the time, it doesnt seem to bother her very much, she simply hops up and moves along to the next thing.

A few weeks ago, we had a blackout that started just as I was about to put the her to bed.  Thankfully, the blackout didnt last for very long at all - but she was frightened so I grabbed a heap of candles, lit them, and placed them strategically around the house. 

It was so beautiful to see her excitement and joy as we 'camped out' in the kitchen surrounded by the candlelight. She had the same nervous excitement that I have when a scary situation comes around. She was shaking and her little voice was trembling. "I'm a bit scared, mum. Can i have the iPad please". Peppa pig on the iPad solves all scary situations :)

The last few nights, just before her bedtime, she has been asking me to turn the lights off in the house and light some candles. In a rush to get her into bed (so I can have some downtime!) I have said no without a second thought to it. Though tonight, for some reason, I felt convicted of my thoughts and actions, and when she asked, "Mum, you turn lights off and put candles on, please?", I considered for a moment what it might mean to her. Yes, I was in a hurry to have a shower myself, clean the kitchen, read her a book and put her to bed...but she was wanting to experience something special.

I grabbed 5 tealight candles from the pantry, lit them and I placed them on the hallway dresser, just at her eye level. I switched off all the lights and tv's in the house and watched her. She stood beside those candles, just staring at them quietly, for what seemed an eternity. She uttered phrases like, "wow, they so cool mum", "oh, pretty" and "look, I see bubbles" (not quite sure what she meant by that!). 

I grabbed the camera to snap a few shots of this little memory making session, and she looked straight over to me and said, "you so nice, mum". It melted my heart. 

I soaked in every minute, wondering what was going through her little mind as she watched the tiny little wicker flicker with the flame. I asked her who made fire, and she said "God and Jesus did". We spoke of why he made light - so we could see in the dark and not be afraid, and also to keep us warm. The whole process took less than 20 minutes, but to her, I was honoring her by simply being still and listening to her. It was showing her that I do care about what she has to say.

As I sit here reflecting on this tonight, it is so inline with our walk with Christ. He is always trying to get our attention, he speaks to us, convicts us, tugs at our skirt while most of the time, we are too busy to stop and listen to what he is trying to tell us. If we simply take the time to BE STILL...not only are we showing him that we care about what he has to say, but we will be SO blessed by what he is saying and what he is trying to tell us or show us.

I am SO guilty of being too busy. I honestly do not know where the hours in the day go. By the time the kids are in bed by 7 all I want to do is go to bed myself! But I have so much I still need and want to do also, like cleaning, running my small business, spending time in God's word, spending time with my husband, having time to myself.....I wouldn't get any sleep if I tried to fit all that in of an evening! 

I wouldn't say that I hear God's audible voice, but I know that he convicts me of things DAILY. He is the small voice whispering things to me, questioning my actions, constantly reminding me to be the woman he intended me to be, to walk down the path he created for me and to trust him daily with everything, including my parenting. Sometimes, I simply need a little reminder, like the lesson with the candles tonight, to make me stop and remember that HE is always drawing me closer to him, begging me to walk the path he created for me, instead of one I keep trying to clumsily make myself.

I pray that this week, you may also find the time to stop and be still. Listen to your children and your loved ones. But most importantly, listen to what God is telling you. He is there, always beside you, always loving you, always gently whispering in your ear - whether it be directly to you or indirectly to you from someone else. Only He knows what is best for you....

xxx

Psalm 46:10

 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

1 Peter 3:4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.