Be Still

Lent, to me, is partly about incorporating stillness in life, taking the time to just be, to be still.

Each morning I attempt this. I get up, go sit in a white chair, and try to spend that time. The cat happily joins me. The dog then awakes, starts her panting routine, wakes my husband who lets her out, and that's the end. But I do find other times.

In my life, it's been during a few of those times I have most felt God's presence, there, holding me, with the assurance that all will be ok.

Recently I can be still while standing. This is a new experience. You learn how to do these things in life, then MS takes them away, and then, for whatever reason, you may be able to get them back. When that happens, it seems miraculous.

On Saturday I was standing outside on our deck (a great "be still" place). I practice standing here against the railing, flexing all these muscles people take for granted that enable a person to stand straight. I count to 120 (seconds - 2 minutes) and then normally stop, but on Saturday I kept standing - I could just be. I was still. I could hear the birds around me as if telling me to just be - to be still. Still in this new stance of standing is absolute heaven to me. I breathe, I take in the fresh air, I feel my feet on the ground beneath me. I push up on my toes as if reaching for the sky. My hands position themselves so I almost have my balance. And I imagine reaching, pushing on toes, reaching.

Beautiful words come...

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
and its righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you...

Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find.
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you..."

Seek. Ask. Knock.
Be still. Reach. Feel.

Faith asks (toes reach),
Hope seeks (standing still),
Love knocks (feel the experience).

"All these things shall be added unto you."

God is with us.

Be still.

Peace.