Be Still and Know
Psalm 46:10
In some of my previous posts, I have written about ways to relax, how to schedule each day, and how to balance all of the things that we need to do to be a homeschool mom. Our to do list never ends, but once again, God has told me to just “be still and know”.
Even though I have a tremendously large to do list, this past weekend I just took off. I took time to relax, to read, to crochet, and just do those things that some people classify as “time wasters”. Sometimes I feel guilty letting go, but the Lord reminded me of something in just the past two days. When I am so busy living my life, with my brain full of my own to do list, I can’t hear what He is saying to me. When I let go of my to do list for awhile, I heard His voice more clearly – “Be still and know that I am God.”
“Be still and Know”
In the Hebrew language, the command “Be still and know” means to sink into, to relax. We often translate “be still” as being quiet. It does mean that, but it means so much more. I picture myself crawling into the Lord’s lap and resting in knowing that He’s got me. Nothing will pull me from His hand, and I don’t have to work hard in my own strength to do what He calls me to do. I am His child. He keeps me in His strength and will give me the ability to do what He has given me the calling to do.
Homeschooling
Right now homeschooling is God’s greatest calling in my life. I don’t want to imagine doing anything else, and I feel privileged that I am able to stay home and train up my children. But it is so easy to transfer myself from relying on God’s strength to relying on my own. As a homeschool mom I am busy, and my to do list only grows larger as each day passes. I sit and think about everything that I need to do and without even knowing it, it becomes what I need to do. When I focus on my to do list, after awhile I become overwhelmed and forget what my main purpose is. I can’t hear the voice of the Lord anymore, because my to do list is screaming in my ear.
So is my to do list wrong? No, because I need a plan. But when I skip the step of leaving my to do list in the Lord’s hands, it becomes overwhelming. I can’t find Him anymore in the overwhelming tasks of my life. My to do list becomes “mine” when it should belong to the Lord. God called me to homeschool my children to teach His ways to them, so that they will grow up in the knowledge of the Lord. He did not call me to homeschool simply to teach reading, writing, and math to my children.
My overwhelming desire to just “waste time” was God once again calling me to just “be still and know”. To just become His child once again. That time allowed me to just rest and allow His voice to penetrate my thick brain. My homeschool calling came from Him. He is the one who will guide me where I need to go within that calling.
My Blog
I believe that the other great calling on my life is to write. I’m not very good at it, but the desire to write has been with me ever since my childhood. A lot of times I write just to organize my own thoughts and to express some complicated emotions. I have written stories, journals, and even taken a class on how to write a children’s book. But I have never published anything.
I started this blog for two reasons. The first was to write the things that I know God is teaching me in my own life, in homeschooling, being a mama, and growing in Him. But the second reason was to supplement my husband’s income. God provides what we need, but I feel compelled to help my husband so that he can worry less about our finances. I am progressing through Suzi Whitford’s mom blog course, but as of yet have not seen any financial gain from my blog.
I pray often that God would help me make some money with this blog. But He has impressed upon my heart that He wants my blog to first and foremost glorify Him. I need to write about what He is doing in my life more than I need to make money. If one mom is helped by my story of how God has worked in my life, then all of my writing has been worth it.
Let It Go
This post was not on my scheduled post list. I did not come up with it until just this past Monday morning. But throughout the two years that I have been blogging, God has made it clear to me that I need to let this blog go. Not to stop writing, but to leave it in His hands. To let go of trying to follow the formulas about how to make money blogging. He wants me to use this blog as a ministry, to teach other moms how to rely on His strength. To encourage other homeschool moms to “be still and know that He is God.” He will keep you, and He will give you what you need to perform this awesome calling of homeschooling the children that He has entrusted to you.
My Call to Action
So my call to action in this post is to let go. Let go of your to do list, your crazy schedule, and your desire to do it perfectly. Rest in Him, rest in the knowledge that He will lead and guide your every step. Take time to “be still and know” and then take the next step that He directs, holding onto His loving hand.
