243 – Sometimes You Need to Stop

#faithbites #faithjourney stop

When you read this title, what did you think this was about? Stopping what and why? Is it stop doing bad things? Stop doing too many things? What? The answer is Yes. It could be all of these things.

I’m a pretty busy person. It is hard for me to stand still. I have to be going going going. Even when recuperating from a procedure, I don’t want to stop. I have work, school, laundry, home, everything that needs to be done before I get me time. Today, having a sick kiddo with me, made it even harder. My first thought was to get a babysitter but that wasn’t in the cards. I was forced to stop. I couldn’t do all the things I needed to do and that was ok. My daughter’s needs came first and even wants. To sit and watch a movie or to scratch the scratch pad or play legos. That is what was important to her healing, so it became important to me.

When do you stop to smell the roses as they say? And when you do stop, do you give up something or just refocused?

Scripture on Stopping and Reassessing

• Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:8
• Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. – Proverbs 2:2-5

Reflection

Looking at the scriptures, you may wonder what that has to do with stoppings and smelling the roses. Or how spending time on others needs is more important than my own wants. I took those two scriptures to be the influence of God. He was telling me that I need to stop. Stop doing too much. Stop doing my own thing and not following what God wants me to do. Not that I”m doing bad, but not what I need to be focusing on at that moment.

It is not an easy thing to do. Yesterday we talked about headspace and heartspace. Today was a direct reminder of that. That many of the things I wanted to do were in headspace both in “need” and time needed and not necessarily in the heartspace. Cuddling my daughter, playing legos, watching a movie, eating popcorn, those were all heartspace activities that needed time.

A friend of mine used to say: If you stop to think, don’t forget to start again. While we never have to give up praising the Lord, sometimes we need to get out of our head and listen a bit more to where he wants us to focus at this moment.

Charge

Are you running around like a chicken with your head cut off? Are you checking things off your list (headspace) but leaving things in your heartspace to do? Take time right now, to pray and ask for help with that. Then list those things that you should really be doing. Those that enrich your soul and your relationships. Trust me, the other stuff will get done if it needs to.

Lord, help me live more in the heartspace. Help me to stop running nonstop and spend my time and heart where I need to. God, Family, Friends, Work.