Be Still & Know
(Today's musing is written by one of our NorthStar writers, Amy Tromba. Amy attends Burke Community Church.)
by Amy Tromba on September 23, 2024
I recently learned a new phrase that perfectly describes what I have spent a lifetime trying to achieve, “unhurried stillness.” For most of my life, this concept was foreign to me. I was a military spouse, making fifteen moves around the country in thirty years, raising two boys, getting my college degree, serving at church, taking care of aging parents, and working various jobs. I thought unhurried stillness was an impossibility and I was jealous of people who seemed to live otherwise.
I remember joining my husband on one of his business trips to Maui. I would have five full days to experience unhurried stillness while he attended his conference. No responsibilities. No to-do list. Just ample time to be still and renew my strength in the Lord. I had high hopes that clearing my schedule would result in a spiritual revival. I lasted less than two hours before asking the hotel staff how I could help them.
It took many stumbles before I learned that unhurried stillness doesn’t necessarily mean I need to be physically still with no commitments in my appointment book. Yes, Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to quiet places to pray, and ideally, we should follow His example and do the same. But what about those days when every minute seems to be scheduled? Can I still experience unhurried stillness?
A few weeks after learning this new phrase, I began my morning prayer asking God to provide moments of unhurried stillness in my day, even though I wasn’t sure what that would look like with a full schedule. I left the house, walking quickly to the metro station, realizing halfway there I had left my phone and reading glasses on the counter. I was about to turn around, knowing I would miss the train and be even more rushed, but how could I get through my day without my glasses and phone? Then I remembered my prayer request for unhurried stillness and decided to embrace this new experience.
It was awkward at first. Multiple times, I caught myself reaching for my phone and laughing to myself when I couldn’t find it. Finally, I settled into my new norm for the day. And God was faithful to answer my prayer. Hundreds of red-winged blackbirds flew overhead creating shape-shifting clouds in the sky … a grandmother kissed the forehead of her grandchild who giggled with delight … a father and son brought a cold drink and sandwich to a blind man shaking his plastic cup for change on the sidewalk. God was revealing Himself to me in these moments of unhurried stillness.
Unhurried stillness isn’t something we can schedule or force. It is a state of the heart we experience in our dailyness by choosing to stay alert to God as He reveals Himself to us.
What about you? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and put your phone down to experience some unhurried stillness with God?
“Be still, and know that I am God! … “ Psalm 46:10