“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46.10 NIV).
One morning, I was making eggs and sausages for my family. I normally crack the entire dozen since I have five hungry mouths to feed, but at that moment, I felt like I needed to save one. I didn’t understand why, but I’ve learned to stop and quietly listen. When I’m rushing and anxious, I can’t trust my instincts. However, when I take a moment to pause, relax and listen; I can trust the Holy Spirit’s prompting. I left the egg in the carton and returned it to the fridge. Later that evening, after my teens returned home from school, my daughter wanted to make brownies. When my children were younger, I always had them—two boys and a girl—help me in the kitchen. And my girl became fond of making homemade desserts. It was towards the end of the week; and since I buy my groceries on Mondays, we were running low on items. In fact, we only had that last carton of eggs left. Luckily, the recipe my daughter used called for only one egg. I was thankful I left the egg in the carton. I think sometimes we miss the Holy Spirit’s promptings for two reasons: 1) we are rushing and 2) we think small things don’t count. Maybe the small things in life don’t make large ripples in our lives like the bigger things, but my daughter was definitely glad there was an egg left for her recipe. She enjoys baking, and her brownies came out wonderfully. We enjoyed a relaxing evening eating a delicious, homemade dessert. It has taken me years and years, but I am learning to slow down and listen. I try never to make decisions when I’m worried, fearful or rushed. Instead, I quiet myself and ask, “Is this prompting from You, God, or is my heart trying to confuse me?” Just being in a time of being still—even for a moment— makes all the difference in the world.
Is there a time when you rushed past the Holy Spirit’s prompting? Were you able to look back and realize your day would have been different if you had taken time to be still? Or was there a time that you were still, and the Holy Spirit prompted you in a way that changed the outcome of your day and someone else’s day?
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