A reading from Rev. Cindy Hickman.

Pause.

(Really, just stop.) 

Breathe.

Look around.

Repeat in one hour.

Pause.

Breathe.

Look around.

Repeat in one hour.

That may seem silly, but the truth is we rush through our days barely noticing our lives.  Sometimes we rush so that we don’t have to notice what is happening around us.  Rushing, rather than living, becomes the goal.

We live at a hectic pace.  This season of pandemic has added yet another layer of anxiety to our lives.  We know that this is a time when our mental health is being challenged.  And Lord knows there is work to do in the world.  Our minds are telling us to hurry!

So pause.  Really.  Shut off social media.  Turn off the list of tasks running through your mind.  Just for a moment ignore your worries.

Pause.

Breathe.

Look around.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46 invites us into stillness.  This is Sabbath-living, another of God’s gifts, accepting times of rest and being present to the world around us.

A funny thing happens when we develop a habit of stopping from time to time.  We begin to notice that things are generally all right.  That in this moment, we are living and breathing.  The world around us is ok and probably more beautiful that we might have realized.  And when we take time to notice all this, our levels of worry go down.  Our anxiety lessens.  Our too-busy minds get a moment to rest.

Pause.

Breathe.

Look around.

Just for a few moments and know that God is with us.

The words of Rev. Cindy Hickman.