Debbie Swindell

I confess to a love for all things organized, planned, and, most of all, productive. At the peak of productivity, my phone calendar was duplicated by a paper calendar in my desk drawer. Though riddled with class times, deadlines, and appointments, each day’s activities were confirmed before 5 a.m. My well-ordered life has unraveled, and now, as I’m still figuring out how to live my days with a newly retired husband, I depend on his goodness, patience, and love.

The tone of my writing has changed as I pour my heart onto the keys of my laptop. My words have been honest, and I’ve become vulnerable. This phase of life is overshadowed by physical discomfort, a bum left foot that worsens with fatigue, and in the evening hours, severe pain sets in. I’ve fought it daily and nightly with all that is within me. I’ve done all possible to avoid surgery. So now you know.

God Works in My Stillness

My season of weariness and distress forced me to simplify my schedule and solidified my identity in Christ. My weakness draws back the curtain to the stage where God works in my stillness. God created us with limitations, and as mine have become more remarkable, it is time for me to work less and for Him to work more.

“Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God,” we find in the book of Job. “Be still, and know that I am God,” wrote the Psalmist. To be quiet physically and mentally is a vital component of communion with God. When stillness is used to seek and know more of God, it has eternal value.

Stillness is a State of Thought

Perfect greige, spalding gray, watery, and sea salt are colors brushed across the walls of our home. My happy place in the sunroom, where treasured books are shelved along the back wall, displays my favorite things that represent special times, places, and people in my life.

My decision to create a calm ambiance has been on purpose and for a purpose. Early on, the soothing environment was for me, and then I found it helpful in ministry to others. Stillness is a state of thought.

Jesus cherished stillness. At times, he left his disciples for a desert or a mountaintop. He sought out particular places. He was removed from others in a calm, quiet environment. But then, He napped in the boat during the violent storm on the sea!

Sometimes, I need a nap in the middle of the day, and if I’m honest, sometimes by 9am. I’ve struggled to pause my activity to close my eyes for ten minutes until late. Most of us are on the go, and our spirits can feel unsettled when a life event slows us. It can take some time to adjust and be at peace with rest.

Jesus commended Mary for sitting quietly at his feet to hear his word instead of busying herself as Martha. Jesus said, “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

He is God, and We are Not

Acknowledging that God governs our world with a sure and steady hand, we can silence the noise. We need physical rest, but we also need spiritual and emotional rest. We need stillness. God promises a way for us to be still. One of the Bible’s most quoted and familiar verses comes from Psalm 46.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. – Psalm 46:10

In this passage, God does not say, “Be still and know that everything will be okay.” He is teaching us that He is God and we are not. We do not run this world and do not get to decide the fate of our life’s circumstances. We can trust, however, that God does not make mistakes. Not only does he govern the nations, but he governs the details in my life and yours.

The children of Israel, for example, witnessed the fruits of spiritual stillness while standing precariously between the Red Sea and the heavily armed Egyptian chariots. Pharaoh had gone back and forth on his decision to relinquish the Israelite slaves.

The reappearance of his forces at the sea brought great distress to the Israelite camp. But Moses urged the people “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will shew to you today.” That night, God divided the sea, and the Israelites were saved from the Egyptians (Ex 14).

Getting Personal

Remember, stillness is not just physical. True stillness enables us to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to work in and through us. Resting my body and stilling my soul will allow me to recover. It will be a time to grow – To know Him more deeply and to experience His presence more fully.

O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.

Saint Augustine, early church theologian

Here’s Where You Come In

Stillness is not thinking about nothing. Biblical meditation includes scripture. Would you consider sharing a verse or passage with me for meditation during my recovery?