These past few months have been nothing short of chaotic. Even though I thoroughly enjoy all of the activities I'm involved in, I can't help but feel overwhelmed at times. Trying to juggle school, work, coaching, playing coed softball, teaching a Sunday school class and helping with the youth on Wednesday nights is no easy task and can become stressful at times (especially for someone like me who is a perfectionist and a procrastinator)!
This week while vacationing in the Smoky Mountains, we decided to visit Cades Cove. It was so relaxing driving through the open fields for miles and miles with the beautiful Tennessee mountains surrounding us on each side. There were no stores. There was no service. And there were no distractions. The only buildings were a few old settlements where people lived in the late 1800s and 1900s and a few old churches.
As the sun began to set, the view of an open field with a beautiful mountain as a backdrop and pastel skies of blue and pink is something I'll never forget. Along with that were deer in the open field and fireflies dancing on the tall grass.
The scenery was so peaceful and beautiful. It made me think about the experiences those people must have had in the 1800s and the perfectly simplistic lives they lived. I imagine they would put in a hard day of work in the fields and then sit on their porch in the evening. They probably watched the orange sun go down behind the mountains every night and meditated with God in the quietness.
Quietness is something we don't experience very often. I think it is something all of us want, but it's so hard to get completely away from the hustle and bustle. We have phones, emails, televisions, calendars, billboards, teachers and friends constantly reminding us of our never ending list of responsibilities. But I don't believe this is how God intended for us to live. As time has gone on, we have become busier and busier people. We have created lives full of errands, activities and jobs, and it is not feasible to fulfill these demanding requirements we have put on ourselves.
The Bible says for us to "be still and know that I am God." But how can we truly understand who He is and receive the satisfying, calming peace that only He can give if we won't be still? I know we cannot drop all of our responsibilities, but I have learned that I must make it a priority to make time to be still and quiet with God in His presence. Because it is in those moments that He will speak to the heart, give peace to the mind and refresh the soul.
