Be Still and Find God

In the busyness of life, it can be hard to find time to sit in stillness long enough to hear what God has to say. With the incessant pinging of phone notifications, partners, children, and pets all vying for our attention, the tv blaring in the background, life can be busy, noisy and fast paced. 

I hadn’t fully realised this until Holy Week when I attended a Maundy Thursday vigil and got to sit in silence for hours, away from the distractions of life. It was then that I realised that far from God ignoring me, I was struggling to hear him amongst the noise of everyday life. My head had been so full of endless lists, worries and angst that I’d effectively blocked God out. When I sat in silence, minus my phone, in the semi darkness I started to feel my whole body settle. It was like I’d taken a much-needed deep exhale. At first my mind chattered, then slowly as the hours passed the chattering stopped. Silence came. Then peace. Absolute peace. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever felt that level of closeness to God, nor the same level of calmness. It was as if my body had simply reset itself to how it was intended to be. 
 
How do we find time to be still when life is so incredibly hectic? Author James Clear suggested in his book “ Atomic habits’’ that we are wise to anchor new habits onto our existing rituals, so taking a little time on a morning, doing something like mindfully drinking tea in the garden, or having that first few minutes of our day in silent contemplation (if that’s possible for you) can really help. Having a solitary walk somewhere beautiful is another good way of reconnecting with God. Your body is doing its own thing, and your mind can then start to unwind a little. As you look around you, you are likely to notice all the little glimmers of hope – the blossom on the trees, the cheeping of birds, the light shining through the trees, the scent of a fragrant herb. This is a great way of reminding ourselves that God is all around us, wherever we are.

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