It's written all over the biblical texts and it's written into the fabric of our DNA - the need for a meaningful pause...
I had a week not long ago where it just seemed like I couldn't tap into the usual strength and tricks I often use to help reset my nervous system when my anxiety issues pop up and my mind felt like it had a way of its own. I just could not seem to find peace, to be calm. Almost daily, there seemed to be some new problem that arose, some new need or crisis with a friend, some distraction, some joy-killer, some insecurity that wanted to rear its ugly head. It felt like getting attacked on all sides and not enough reserves of the Spirit to handle them all. I was overwhelmed.
Perhaps you've encountered moments like that, too. You just feel like you're in so far over your head you don't even know where to start to get a grip on anything. Your heart is racing and your mind is pacing and your body is chasing some threat you don't even know what... and you just can't seem to discover that quiet place of center where God's peace can speak to your soul and reassure you that you are seen, heard, and loved and that all will be well always. Because He writes good stories always. I think it's human to feel and walk through times like this, especially when they are laden with uncertainty.
And yet, here's where we discover the power of the pause...
The interlude...
The intentional stopping that leads to something fuller, richer, deeper.
I often scratch my head that something we see variations of across the Scriptures could be so difficult to practice and consistently ignored. It's like the pull of this harried world is so strong that we cannot give ourselves permission to insert a purposeful stillness that allows for us to ask God what He wants to say, to take in the breath of His presence, to just be... without the expectation of feeling like we are failing something or someone for doing so. To be honest, our crazy society sort of looks down on pausing. We have made people feel guilty for carving out time to sit in the silence of their thoughts and it's costing us big time.
Selah.
The ancient psalmists and poets wrote this one little word into the texts to signal some break in the speaking or singing. Perhaps it was to let the words sit with the people a bit longer or to make room for silent prayer and response. But there was a deliberate choice to make room for the thought to breathe and the heart to animate and the soul to rise. They intentionally paused. Yet think about modern life today and even the rhythms of the faith community and there isn't much slowing down or sitting still. There is much activity but not much taking in the very essence of the Creator Himself. There is so. much. noise. and I doubt if we can hear the whisper of God above the din.
Healing happens when the body, mind, and soul are allowed to come back into connection with the things that hold true across all time - that we were made to worship, that we are eternally loved, that we are always safe with the One who holds everything in His capable hands, that we have reason to hope and trust even when it doesn't make sense. Healing comes to us when we get off the pressured path and enter the space of green pastures and still waters where He dwells. It is there that a restored soul is the result. Is this counter-cultural? You bet. Is this counter-intuitive? Well... maybe at first but the reality is, you were born to live this way. To exist in a center of purpose and relationship with the Maker who sees you and knows you better than you do yourself.
Getting back to the pace of Grace is where it all turns. When you are willing to live Selah - to step into rest and operate from a place of assurance and enough - everything changes for you. From the beginning, you have been designed to commune with Love Himself and to walk through life from a center of being fully engaged and alive to the beauty, goodness, and truth that points to who He is and what His divine plan is for you. But that won't come unless you decide to make a place for it regularly in your life. The world won't give that to you and even those you love probably won't either. You have to make it a priority to get in alignment with the Spirit and the patterns that create for such an existence.
Will it be difficult to make that move? Possibly. A lot will work against you, for sure! You'll probably have to say no more often or have some people tell you that you're lagging behind, failing in some way, or just missing out on something that perhaps used to be important. But the wonders you will see and the peace you will know far outweighs the temporary discomfort you'll feel or the pushback you'll receive. Because now you'll be positioning yourself for blessing and meaning. You will be returning to a tiny bit of Eden because you are coming home to the reason you were placed on this earth.
Let's let some Selah into our lives this week. We may be surprised at what comes from that simple act of quiet obedience and going against the grain.
Add comment
Comments