Have you ever been in a love/hate relationship? Well, that is what I would use to describe my relationship with Spring. I love the sunshine, I love the warm weather, and I love looking forward to all the events that are held in Crossing Kids. This time of year is definitely the busiest time of year for our staff. Christine always uses the metaphor of climbing a mountain when talking about this time of year. It is hard, tireing, and time consuming…but obviously well worth it! And that’s exactly what it feels like. Every year, around this time, our staff begins to work longer hours preparing for multiple events and gearing up for Kids Club. How do you balance all of this with small group, personal time, time with your friends, and more importantly, where am I even supposed to fit my time with God into the mix? I often become stressed, everything else around me seems a little bit worse than it actually is, and I lose sight of why this is all happening in the first place.
Usually my head is so full of “to-do’s” that I have a hard time stopping and waiting before the Lord. I struggle to “be still”. As I have been going through the scripture memory program that The Crossing has been doing, I have enjoyed learning not just the verses but also looking up the passages and learning the context from which they came. Last month, the memory verse came from Psalm 46:1 “The Lord is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”. While this entire passage is incredibly comforting in seasons like this, one particular verse has consistently stuck out to me while reading further.
“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10
“Be still”. What does that even look like, to be still before the Lord? I think this passage is reminding us that this world is not ours to worry about. This world belongs to God, it always has and always will. Every moment, every person, every event (good or bad) is used to exalt the name of the Lord. This past week, since reading this passage, I have found my moments of “being still” before God to be precious. Beginning my day, reflecting on His goodness, the things that I am thankful for, and being able to give my burdens over to Him so that He can carry them for me has been refreshing. As I write this and continue to learn more about how to “be still” before God, this song (rearranged and recorded by Page CXVI) comes to mind.
