"Be still and know that I am God". As parents and caregivers of uniquely challenged children, you and I know how difficult it can be to do this. There is, after all, much to be done! Unlike other parents, we must concern ourselves with our children's physical, emotional, educational, psychological needs during most of our waking hours - regardless of their age - whether it be a doctor's appointment with yet another specialist or a meeting with the school. A child with attentional difficulties often needs frequent prompts and reminders to complete the same tasks from day to day. If our children are to receive special education supports at school, we must find the time to familiarize ourselves with laws and regulations that govern this process so that we can be informed, contributing members of our children's IEP teams. If our children have physical difficulties, we must closely monitor them at all times to make sure that they are comfortable and safe. If our children take medication on a regular basis, we must monitor the dosing and watch closely for any side effects. Add to all of this a full-time or part-time job, the daily upkeep of our homes, shopping, cooking, paying bills and yes, the all too familiar homework struggles, and you're left with a group of people who have every right to be yelling "Stop the ride! I want to get off!".
I have found myself in this place more often than I care to admit. Yes, I know the place well. Perhaps you know it too. It's just down the street from Pity Park, at the intersection of Overwhelmed Blvd. and Despair Drive. Only recently have I figured out that God's advice to us to "be still", means that I actually need to stop moving. Holding my body still is pretty easily accomplished when I put my mind to it (there's always something that always seems to need my attention though...), but quieting my mind and my heart is a different story altogether! So, one night this week, just as I could feel myself beginning to veer onto Despair Drive, I decided to just sit down and be still. It was very difficult at first. Although my body was still, my mind fought relentlessly to drag it back into the whirlwind of activity I'd just stepped away from. It was 10 PM and my daughter was still trying to complete homework. My husband would be home any minute and I had no idea what he would eat for dinner. To top it all off, both of the dogs were now overdue for their last trip outside for the night. "You'd better get up and get those things done" my mind taunted, "you can pray later". The truth was, that no matter how much my mind beckoned me back into "the ring", I was exhausted in every way possible and had no intention of leaving my spot on the sofa for at least 15 minutes. I likened myself to a professional boxer who had just gone 10 rounds with his opponent. I wasn't defeated, but I was tired.
So, I forced every thought out of my mind that opposed the peace and tranquility I wanted so badly. I was getting there. I closed my eyes and practiced some deep breathing exercises. I had been at this intersection before too, but it wasn't nearly as easy to get to. I was at the corner of Peaceful Place and Rebound Road. It was quiet there - no loud horns or speedy drivers in a rush to get to their end before their beginning. I'd gotten the being still part down pat. Now I needed to refocus my energies on knowing that God was sovereign. "Knowing" meant releasing my stress and casting my care on Him, so I made a conscious effort to do just that.
I sat quietly on the sofa that night for about 15 minutes. My husband saw me there when he came in and wanted to know what was wrong. "Nothing", I told him. You see, I'd had a few minutes to reassess and redefine my position. I couldn't really say with 100% accuracy that anything was "wrong". Difficult, exhausting and time-consuming but not necessarily "wrong". I was back in "the ring", and ready to go on. Being still and reminding myself of God's sovereignty in my life had recharged my batteries! Amen!
