There are cars on the sofa and baby toys strewn across the floor. The dishes aren’t quite done and the floor could use a good scrubbing. My house is not perfect yet here I sit coffee in hand because my mother told me to capture moments of rest in the day so I’m attempting to listen. Attempting is the key word in that sentence. I’m not good at leaving things alone. I’m not good at not tidying, not fussing, not doing. When I let the desire take hold I find myself tidying and fussing and doing all my time away in the day. That rest time when the baby rests. The quiet time when my little one is in therapy. Today I am sitting and ignoring. Well not ignoring precisely. Instead I’m choosing to set aside my instinct and take instead what is needed, a moment for myself.
That moment seems selfish, doesn’t it? Whether you’re a working mom or dad, a single individual or a person who has responsibilities here unnamed we all feel guilty for taking moments, stealing time and just sitting still. It is important to just exist. It is important to steal those moments. How do I know this? Well I know it from personal experience as I feel so much better when I’ve stolen some moments but I also know this because of how Jesus lived. He stole moments. He moved into gardens and went up mountainsides. When he needed a break he took it. He saw value in silence, in stolen moments with God. He knew how important it was to relax, to rest and listen.
When we are too busy to sit still we fail to hear the whispers of God. When the rustle of paper and the clanging of silverware takes over our lives the voice we long to hear is muffled and faint. We need this time. We must make it a priority.
If you find yourself wondering what that muffled voice is saying take a moment and breathe. If you find yourself doing so much that you no longer even hear it, stop and sit. Steal a moment and reflect. This season of Lent is a time of contemplation, reflection and connection.
Make time in your day to connect.
Make time. It’s important.
Make time for God.
Make time.
