Skip to main content

Teach Me To Be Still

Sometimes I can’t help but think about everything I need to take care of each day. It feels like there’s always something that needs to be done. Something that’s coming up. Something that requires my energy and attention. And something that will consume my time. The to-do lists will grow on and on, and when I think I’m done tackling my lists, there’s always something else. 

So, God, I need you to teach me to be still. 

 

Teach me to be still when life feels overwhelming. Show me how to take things on one thing at a time when I’m feeling worked up about handling an important task, responding to a pile of emails waiting in my inbox, managing my budget, and trying to get back to loved ones who are always calling or texting. 

 

Teach me to be still when I can’t find the answers. Show me how to pause and ask for help when I need it instead of stressing out trying to figure out everything on my own. I know that if I can’t find the answers I need to certain things, there are others I can reach out to for help. I can even reach out to you too.

 

Teach me to be still when I don’t know what’s next for me. Show me how to trust you completely, even when I don’t know what’s around the corner. Calm my heart, still my mind, and remind me to be still as you work, move, and order my steps.  

 

Teach me to be still when I begin to worry. Sometimes I worry about big things and small ones too. I think about what’s next, what could happen, and what hasn’t happened yet. There are times when my mind wanders all over the place. Show me how to relax and release my fears of the unknown to you. Teach me to be as worry-free as possible. 

 

Teach me to be still when I have days when I don’t feel like my normal self. Help me to see the uniqueness, beauty, and positivity in all that you’ve placed in me and created me to be. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I don’t like what I see and feel so disconnected from who I once was. I want to feel good about myself and be patient with myself as you help me become a better version of myself. Even during the hard days.

 

Teach me to be still when life doesn’t make sense. Sometimes some things happen that I don’t like or understand. Instead of asking you why, help me to be still and trust that you will bring me through the things that feel so complicated and very frustrating at times, and that when all is said and done, I will see that you have always been with me and that you won’t ever leave me or forsake me.  

 

Teach me to be still when I’m in a hurry and need to slow down. God, please teach me to simply be still and breathe. I know that everything doesn’t have to be handled right away. I don’t need to tackle everything in one day. I don’t have to be in a rush, panic, or hurry. I understand that it’s okay for me to take my time. Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still, and know that I am God.” I know that it’s okay to be still and that I don’t always need to be on the go or on the move. Sometimes I just need to be still. So teach me to take my time and to pause my mind, body, and spirit to allow myself to just be in this present moment. 

 

Teach me to be still, God. Today and every day.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...
Read more

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...
Read more

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace.       As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...
Read more