Be Still

by Rhonda Lane

Iwas born a week late and I've been trying to catch up to crisis and shutdown. Seismologists have discovered never this ever faster moving modern world ever since. before measurable movements of the earth unmasked solely

It didn't help that my parents were slow. They weren't because of the newfound stillness of humanity. slow in intellect, far from it. They were two of the smartest, Astronomers, too, have noticed celestial artwork not wisest people I've ever been privileged to know. They were, normally visible because there were no planes to force the however, slow in their intentionality about life. They took stars to play hide and seek from our eyes. the time to savor the joy and opportunity of learning in When the world is up and running, we humans are every situation that presented itself to them. always making noise with our automobile traffic, we leave

Warm summer evenings spent sitting and talking on our the lights on in an attempt to void the night only to obscure front porch about the past, the present, and the future as the the illumination of the stars, and we build skyscrapers to twilight slowly enveloped them was one of their favorite obscure the trees and the mountains we so eagerly seek to pastimes. find with our cars and our airplanes.

Observing nature was another avocation. My father Stop, look, and listen. Stop rushing out the door or once interrupted a busy day of chores to dissect and study rushing to judgment. Look at the faces of your loved ones. the intricate architecture of an abandoned wasp nest along Listen to the songs of birds. with my mother and myself. We took the time to absorb the Stop and catch a falling star. Stop and catch your wonder of God's creation in it's many layers and connecting breath. Stop and catch a glimpse of God. Psalm 46:10 says, pillars. My mother and I also spent another warm, late “Be still and know that I am God.” summer evening sitting on my grandmother's back steps I still live my life in the slow lane, just where I want to watching wandering stars shoot across her pasture singing be. I feel as if I've finally caught up with the world or maybe a sizzling song as part of a meteor shower. They were like it’s finally caught up with me. fireworks from the inventor of fire Himself. 46 // July 2020 Scientific experts have recently discovered whole new lanes of God's natural bounty during this current pandemic About The Author Rhonda Lane is a native of Dalton, Georgia, and is an orphaned, old maid, and only child trying to find her way in the world and lose herself in Jesus Christ.