I am learning to Slow Down. I am learning to be Still. I am learning to lean in, and I am learning to Quiet My Heart. And what an incredible joy to finally understand and receive this. He has been offering me these swaddling cloths for almost 3 years—to be Still. To be more present with those I love. To live more fully, love more deeply, listen more intently.
There is a traditional lullaby called "Still, Still,
Still." It is a Christmas carol in which Mary holds the newborn baby
Jesus in her arms and soothes Him as He sleeps. A cold night in a manger,
and a newborn baby that needed swaddling and the comfort of his mother's breast.
The heartbeat of her, the smell of her. Still, Still, Still. If Christ needed to be still, how much more so do I? Peace, heart be
still.
Much like a little baby, I am, in need of swaddling and
settling down. There is panic in this pace of life, this pace the culture
has set, this hurry and this constant push.
The whole of it sets in and my arms sprawl out and flail. I am learning
the Safety of slowing down, and even being still. I am
learning to say No. I am learning to
recognize my limitations. And in so
doing, I am loving more deeply, listening more intently, sitting at the feet of
Jesus more regularly. I am refusing to be constantly, incessantly distracted by
my phone. I am learning to put it away.
I am learning to better access the quiet place of Jesus
Christ. I am choosing to go there with Him, to sit still at His feet. I
am learning to be nestled in the swaddling cloths of His love for me. I am listening to the
love song and the lullaby He sings over me. What a perfect time of year
to receive such monumental gifts.
