Third Wednesday of Advent: Be Still and Know

We went on a proper vacation for the first time in years this past summer, and I was determined to do it right.

We stayed at Camp Krislund, near State College, Pennsylvania, and we spent the week among campers as my husband served as a chaplain. We had a variety of activities available to us while we were there: hiking, swimming, and a high ropes course, to name a few. Going into the week, I had planned each day meticulously. I would optimize our time to accommodate every fun activity I could think of. 

The first day was awful. My daughter had stayed up too late the night of our arrival and fought with us constantly from the moment she woke up. So in the late afternoon, we retired to our cabin, trying to force her to nap. 

I was a little disappointed by this change to my plans, but I also saw it as an excuse to read for an hour or two uninterrupted—truly a vacation experience.

As I laid down, all comfy and ready to read, I realized just how tired my own body was. I put my book down and sank into the beauty of my own nap. 
 

The past year has been nonstop activity. The pressure to perform and “make the most of it” has been bearing down on me for the last several months. I had convinced myself that all I had to do was to work just a little bit harder, get just one more thing accomplished, and then I would have earned my rest. 

The world has conditioned us to put off rest. To treat any time of lull as suspicious; to be filled to the full with things to “make it happen.” 

Everything is to be done under our own power. We are responsible for ourselves and what we make of our lives. And if we dawdle, we’ll fall behind. 

Meditating on Psalm 46, I pray the words of the psalmist who invites us to remember who is truly in control—that even when the “waters roar and foam” and “the mountains tremble,” it is God Almighty who remains the Creator and King above all. It is He who commands not only the heavens and the earth, but us as well to “be still and know that I am God.” 

Be still and know that God will be exalted. 
 

When we all woke up from our much-needed naps during that vacation, I realized that I had forgotten how to be still. I do not rest easily! Quieting my mind feels like it takes more effort than simply allowing it to speed on. I ached to do something, anything, to prove that my time wasn’t being “wasted.” 

It was even hard for me to put away the books I was reading and accept my need for physical and mental rest! But eventually, like other times when I have been forced into stillness by sickness or other circumstances, I found peace.

One night after dinner, my kids and I spotted a rabbit on our way back to our cabin. Instead of passing by, we crept closer and sat very still to watch the plump little creature munch away on the grass. We watched for a long while, remarking periodically on the cuteness of the creature in question. We embraced the wonder of Creation and sat in stillness before the Lord. 

God was exalted in our moment of wondering stillness. And there, in that stillness with my kiddos snuggled close, I felt truly at rest. 

—Megan Gongola is a CCO Volunteer, reaching students through her role on the CCO Experiential Designs (XD) Team and the Department of Transformative Opportunities.