Be Still and know...
That is what humility means to me. What a difficult lesson it is to learn to sit back and rest. Yes, i wrote that correctly. Yes you can read it again to make sure I'll wait.
Rest is hard for me.
I got to thinking after reading this post on humility and this one on the importance of quiet time. Personally my mind is running every minute, darting from responsibility to responsibility, from goal to interest to creative endeavour until my body puts it's foot down and the rest of my body fallows suit in solidarity.
In times like those suddenly I find myself incapable of getting out of bed. Suddenly I cannot make a complete thought in my head. My body attempts to show me who's boss or rather who's on the board of directors.
"Be still and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10
That's the Bible verse that's been coming to mind lately as I consider what humility means to me. For me it feels like God saying, Hey, lady, remember I am bigger than you, bigger than your dreams and your desires. Remember that it is I who have placed those very desires into your heart.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" Jeremiah 1:5
Like He is reaching out and saying Kill that spirit of anxiety, I'm workin' here!
In the midst of chasing all these earthly 'needs' or what we perceive ourself to need we can get caught up. I know I can. I am such a driven person that when I go, I go hard and become very exhausted when my efforts are stopped my necessary events in the natural world and then I push even harder, ignoring boundaries, ready to conquer as I forge ahead to victory, ignoring my wounds as they try to give me the oh so important message that I need to allow time in between each strike.
Humility means acknowledging that I am not invincible, that the best intentions are not the security of success. It is a bitter pill to swallow as it can mean admitting you are wrong about yourself; the person you're supposed to know best. It is a lesson and like I often say learning is painful. For me rest is an exercise in humility, one I don't do enough.
What does an exercise in humility look like in your life?
Peace. Love. Rest.
Beautiful post. Mine looks much the same as yours: realising I can't do it all and, before that realisation, becoming overwhelmed. My body telling me to stop. To look. To listen (as you so cleverly said once in your guest post on my blog). Great post. Love it.
ReplyDelete