The Pause

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is pause.

I know that sounds strange in a world that celebrates movement.

Keep going.
Push through.
Stay busy.
Get it done.
Figure it out.

And sometimes we do need to move.

But I am learning that there are also moments when God is not asking me to move faster. He is inviting me to be still long enough to notice Him.

A pause isn't necessarily doing nothing.

A pause isn't necessarily doing nothing.

Sometimes the pause is where we catch our breath.

Sometimes it is where we realize we have been carrying something God never asked us to carry.

Sometimes it is where we finally admit, Lord, I don't know what to do next.

And sometimes it is simply where we stop talking long enough to listen.

I've had moments when I wanted God to give me an answer, change a situation, open a door, or tell me exactly what came next.

Instead, He gave me a pause.

At the time, it felt like nothing was happening.

But looking back, I can see that God was doing something in me while I was waiting for Him to do something around me.

Maybe that is why Scripture says:

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📖 Scripture to Hold Onto

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10

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Not be still because everything has been figured out.

Not be still because there is nothing left to worry about.

Just:

Be still. And know.

Know that He is God.

Know that He sees what you cannot see.

Know that He is working even when you cannot see movement.

Know that you don't have to solve everything in this moment.

There will be time to move.

There will be time to make the phone call, send the email, have the conversation, make the decision, start again, or take the next step.

But perhaps before all of that, there needs to be a MOMENT.

A moment to breathe.
A moment to pray.
A moment to listen.
A moment to remember that God is God—and you don't have to be.

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🙏🏾 MOMENT Prayer

Father, sometimes I become so busy caring for everyone else that I forget how much I need You to care for me.

You know what I am carrying, even the things I do not say out loud.

Help me recognize when I need to slow down. Remind me that I do not have to hold everything together by myself.

Quiet the noise around me and the noise within me. Help me recognize when You are asking me to move and when You are inviting me to be still.

When I feel pressured to have all the answers, remind me that You already see what I cannot.

Meet me in this pause. Renew my strength. And when it is time to move again, help me move with You.

Amen.

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🌸 This Week's MOMENT Challenge

Choose one MOMENT this week that belongs to you and God.

Not while folding laundry.
Not while answering texts.
Not while driving somebody somewhere.

Give yourself a few uninterrupted minutes.

Put the phone down. Sit somewhere comfortable. Take your coffee or tea if you would like.

And simply ask:

God, how am I really doing?

Then be quiet long enough to notice what comes to the surface.

You may realize that you are more tired than you thought.

You may realize that something has been bothering you that you have not made time to acknowledge.

Or you may simply realize how much you needed a few minutes with God when nobody needed anything from you.

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💛 Before You Go

You can be the one everyone counts on and still need somewhere to rest.

You can love your family deeply and still need a little quiet.

You can be strong and still need strengthening.

Even Jesus withdrew from the crowds and made room to be with His Father.

So before you rush off to take care of the next thing—or the next person—remember:

You are someone God wants to care for, too.

Pause. Pray. Reflect. Rest.

Every moment matters—including the ones you make room for yourself.

— Monica Lynne Wilkins