Advent Reflection
by Mollee Erickson
Be still, and know that I am God.
~ Psalm 46:10
A badge of honor to wear on our suit of invincibility. The friendly competition among our peers for how many hours we can fill with ‘stuff’. Extra points if that ‘stuff’ trumps sleep. Double points for physically demanding hours. Triple bonus points if you get injured or skip meals and continue to soldier through.
Friends? Family? Who needs them! We don’t have ‘time’ for those simpleton pleasures. We’re too busy!
Be.
And when you find your limit... When the lack of sleep begins to make you physically ill. When your balance is awry after so much strain to your muscles. When you stare blankly at a screen because you’re not sure what you were just doing 60 seconds ago. When you don’t recall the last time you talked to your friends. When you can’t remember the last time you took the time to actually enjoy anything...you lose. Game over. The spoils go to the next Busy person. You have failed because you just couldn’t keep going.
Be still.
When did this become the norm? And when did we agree this was the definition of failure Perhaps it’s a generational deficiency, but this seems to be the norm among my peers from all ages. Busy is valued more than relationships. Busy is valued more than good deeds and thoughtfulness. Busy is valued. From the retiree who gets out of bed at 4am to get to his volunteer activity so he can get home and work in the garden so he can clean up and get to dinner with friends. From the college student who is taking that extra class so she can graduate a year early so she can start grad school so she can get her dream job and work 60 hours a week to prove she is capable. From the grade school kid who is walking in the door pulling off school clothes to put on the uniform to get to practice so he can get home to finish homework and be in bed before 11pm.
Be still, and know.
It’s a vicious cycle. And not a Merry-go-round cycle. It’s not measured and paced. No. It’s the Renegade. Takes you to the top, drops you down a curve, and never slows down until you are right back where you started from. And now you have to choose. Do you get back on?
Be still, and know that I am God.
Yet underneath this current of Busy, there is an anchor caught so deep in peace, it’s begging us to be pulled into the calm. A stillness quietly calling out ‘the victory is already won’. God doesn’t call us to be Busy, God calls us to be present in the moment with one another. In this Advent season, when it seems like everything is ramping up, what if we took the time to slow it down? What if we passed Busy off to the next person and instead took time to be still? Would our conversations be deeper? Would our hearts be fuller? Would we hear God calling? I am choosing to be still. To quiet down and prepare my heart and mind to welcome God’s Word made flesh. There will still be parties to go to, dinners to plan, concerts to attend, but I am choosing to be fully present at each event. I am choosing to value people over Busy. Will you join me?
Dear Abba, as we head into this Advent season, remind us to be still as we wait in anticipation of your greatest gift. Guide our actions and interactions to be meaningful and present. Thank you for this time together. Look upon us with your favor. And Give us your peace.
by Mollee Erickson
Be still, and know that I am God.
~ Psalm 46:10
A badge of honor to wear on our suit of invincibility. The friendly competition among our peers for how many hours we can fill with ‘stuff’. Extra points if that ‘stuff’ trumps sleep. Double points for physically demanding hours. Triple bonus points if you get injured or skip meals and continue to soldier through.
Friends? Family? Who needs them! We don’t have ‘time’ for those simpleton pleasures. We’re too busy!
Be.
And when you find your limit... When the lack of sleep begins to make you physically ill. When your balance is awry after so much strain to your muscles. When you stare blankly at a screen because you’re not sure what you were just doing 60 seconds ago. When you don’t recall the last time you talked to your friends. When you can’t remember the last time you took the time to actually enjoy anything...you lose. Game over. The spoils go to the next Busy person. You have failed because you just couldn’t keep going.
Be still.
When did this become the norm? And when did we agree this was the definition of failure Perhaps it’s a generational deficiency, but this seems to be the norm among my peers from all ages. Busy is valued more than relationships. Busy is valued more than good deeds and thoughtfulness. Busy is valued. From the retiree who gets out of bed at 4am to get to his volunteer activity so he can get home and work in the garden so he can clean up and get to dinner with friends. From the college student who is taking that extra class so she can graduate a year early so she can start grad school so she can get her dream job and work 60 hours a week to prove she is capable. From the grade school kid who is walking in the door pulling off school clothes to put on the uniform to get to practice so he can get home to finish homework and be in bed before 11pm.
Be still, and know.
It’s a vicious cycle. And not a Merry-go-round cycle. It’s not measured and paced. No. It’s the Renegade. Takes you to the top, drops you down a curve, and never slows down until you are right back where you started from. And now you have to choose. Do you get back on?
Be still, and know that I am God.
Yet underneath this current of Busy, there is an anchor caught so deep in peace, it’s begging us to be pulled into the calm. A stillness quietly calling out ‘the victory is already won’. God doesn’t call us to be Busy, God calls us to be present in the moment with one another. In this Advent season, when it seems like everything is ramping up, what if we took the time to slow it down? What if we passed Busy off to the next person and instead took time to be still? Would our conversations be deeper? Would our hearts be fuller? Would we hear God calling? I am choosing to be still. To quiet down and prepare my heart and mind to welcome God’s Word made flesh. There will still be parties to go to, dinners to plan, concerts to attend, but I am choosing to be fully present at each event. I am choosing to value people over Busy. Will you join me?
Dear Abba, as we head into this Advent season, remind us to be still as we wait in anticipation of your greatest gift. Guide our actions and interactions to be meaningful and present. Thank you for this time together. Look upon us with your favor. And Give us your peace.