I have a hard time being still. Just ask my husband. I am always busy doing something. So, when I was pulled to a screeching halt a few weeks ago, it was as if the life had been ripped right out of me.
The last few months had been a whirlwind of activity as I went on two amazing back-to-back trips with three of my kids. First, I spent a week in Costa Rica with my oldest son scuba diving for the first time, and hiking around Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna waterfall. Then, 2 1/2 weeks later, I went to Taiwan and Hong Kong with my twin boys and my sister, where we hiked up to see the Big Buddha on Lantau Island and did a lot of walking to see local sights. Life was good.
Then, everything came tumbling down. Not even seven hours after I hit the sack following a 15 hour flight back from Hong Kong, I got a phone call that my 90-year aunt had taken a fall, We ended up in the emergency room where we discovered she had a major blood clot in one of her legs. This emergency room visit took place in between making a birthday dinner for three of my boys who were celebrating all of their birthdays that evening, and having cake and opening presents. We actually left the emergency room 11:30PM that night and came home to have birthday cake and open presents, before heading back to the hospital until 2AM. Fortunately, my aunt’s blood clot was discovered in time, and she is now staying at a good rehabilitation center trying to regain her strength so she can walk again. I teased my aunt that she waited until I got back from Hong Kong to have a blood clot just so I could be around.
Talk about the fastest return from cloud nine to reality! My first reaction when all this chaos broke lose was to chuckle. I figured God had given me a break, and it was now time to get back to real life. How quickly things can change within 24 hours.
A week after I brought my aunt to rehab, I found myself laid up on the couch with some sort of bug and slept for two whole days – being still. A few days later when I felt more energetic, I started to catch up on all the things I hadn’t gotten done when I was sick. This impatience got me into trouble because I landed back on the couch with a terrible cough and double pink eye, and was told by my doctor to keep talking to a minimum (talking only makes the cough worse) and to avoid contact with people because I was contagious. In fact, I was specifically told not to visit my aunt. Well, if there’s any clearer way to get the message across, that was it. Being still was the only thing I could do. Be still and know that I am God.Â
God has a funny sense of humor sometimes. He knows I won’t stop until I have no choice. This is not the first time he’s called me to be still. I was forced to be still when my oldest son suffered a severe concussion and had to sit in the dark with no noise for a month almost 7 years ago. I was again forced to be still a year after that happened when my youngest son was home for a month with severe abdominal pains due to food intolerances/allergies.
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten the nudge from God to be still. And this time, I have to admit it has been harder being still. But, I have no choice. As it has turned out, my doctor’s order not to visit my aunt has forced me to trust the people that are taking care of her more, and to trust God more. This crazy couple of weeks has not only forced me to be still, but to be more silent too. Experiencing more silence has brought more stillness into my life. I’ve been quieting myself and spending more time meditating over God’s word during my morning devotion time. I also realize now that while I had a great time on vacation, that I hadn’t spent enough time with God during that time. So, I am taking this time being still, get back to being closer to God, and listening for my next calling.
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