It's Friday night and I am sitting in my grandparent's living room. The Tigers are playing in the background and my grandpa is singing a song that was a hit back in the day. I've heard the song a million times, but I still smile and tell him how great of a singer he is. I love my grandparents, and I love this moment. The pace of life here is much different from what I am used to.
It's slow. It's peaceful.
It reminds me of studying abroad in Italy. The pace of life was different. More relaxed, more peaceful. There was no schedule or plan to follow, life just happened. I like this pace.
As a type-A person, I am a slave to my planner. I make list upon list of what I need to do and accomplish during my day. I tell myself that I will be more relaxed about my "schedule" but still mentally plan each moment. I pack each day with meetings and activities to make sure I can do as much as possible. I am a do-er, and 90 percent of the time I love it.
The other 10 percent of the time, I wish I could erase all my plans and just BE STILL.
Psalm 46:10 tells us "Be still and know that I am God".
The Bible calls us to be still. While the Bible also calls us to go, this verse reminds me that I need to slow down too. Being someone who is to prone to going and doing, I need this reminder daily.
I've found that my need to plan, schedule and fill each day can be good. It can result in a productive and life-filled day that glorifies God. But it can also result in a draining, task-filled, go-go-go day. During those days, I fail to trust that God will provide fulfillment through an empty schedule. I fill my day thinking if I do more then I will be more, but I miss His call in my never-ending scheduling.
I don't want to miss Him anymore. I don't want to over-plan and over-do, because I end up underestimating what God can do. I admire my grandparent's slow pace. They take each day as it comes. They allow God to work in each second of each day, because they take time to be still.
Being still allows for God's voice to penetrate our hearts, so we can know His plan for our day and our lives.
