A Time to be Still

Even though Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, we still have a lot to be grateful for as the year comes to a close. Shopping for yourself or others along with getting decorations set up can become overwhelming no matter if your life was already busy or not. Remember to take time to be still and grateful for what you have, what you will get, and what you can give to others. In order to do so with the best intentions we need to make time to find stillness.

Stillness will look a little different for everyone. My best practice on finding stillness is to make a list of everything that keeps coming to mind. I then make time to sit or lay still so that my body can be still along with my mind. I take time to pray, read the Bible, or listen to music to calm my soul. The body, mind and soul are separate but connected and all need to be addressed to find stillness and peace.

Making a list of everything helps me know what needs to be done and see it so that I can tackle one thing at a time. I recently purchased a weighted blanket which helps force me to physically calm down when I struggle to rest. I also have looked up different kinds of breathing to help slow down my heart rate to help me fall asleep. Exercising or practicing an art form will help you also to clear your head from the buzzing business in life. Finding what works for you may take time and practice, and different seasons of life may call for different outlets.

I love that we live in a culture that has a day set aside for being grateful. I wish it was more than once a year. The more you practice being grateful, the more you will notice you are grateful for. Little things add up, too. Do not be ashamed of what you have that others don’t. Have a goal and set up action plans to get what you do not yet have.

Often times we get so caught up in gift giving and getting that we forget to express gratitude as we were taught at a young age. I know that I try to write thank you cards when I have the chance, but I do not get to everyone every time I am given a gift. I truly appreciate the gifts I get, but I sadly am not as prompt on the “thank you’s” as I was taught to be. I hope to do better at thanking and writing my thanks out to people. Will you join me?

Have you ever read “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman? I read it and challenged myself to appreciate and practice all 5. Gift giving is one that is often practiced by everyone this time of year. It is okay if you are not superb at picking out gifts, it is giving that matters. Remember not to expect an exchange unless it is predetermined that an exchange will be made. Gift giving is as wonderful as receiving gifts. The thoughts matter behind the gift. Giving things that you know the other person likes, or things that you like are a good place to start if you are unsure.

My prayer is that you can find stillness this month before, during and after your Christmas gatherings. Find stillness for your body, mind and soul so that you can enjoy your time with family, friends, or being alone. Be grateful for the time that you have, the gifts that you give and the gifts you receive. It is okay to be proud of where you are in life. Do not let small comments about what you do not have undermine all the good that you do have. Making gratitude lists to look back on when these comments stick with you will help them go away. Be kind with your words knowing that you can not see everything a person is going through as they cannot see what you are going through. Be still my friend.

Thanks for reading. -Em