Stop

A few weeks ago, my husband got a ticket for not coming to a complete, four-wheel stop at a stop sign. Since then, though I thought his stopping technique was just fine, I have been paying more attention to my own stops while driving. I have been discovering how hard it is to make myself stop that completely. Sure, I pause to look around and make sure it's safe to proceed, but to come to a complete, absolute, dead stop seems like a pointless waste of time. Especially when there are no other drivers or pedestrians in sight.

But one night as I drove home from church recently, I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit in my soul, "You don't come to complete stops in life, either." At first I thought He was talking to the wrong half of my blessed marriage union. My husband is the one who identifies himself by the name of a high speed race car, the salt racer. I am more the pondering, meandering type, comparatively.

However, realizing that the Holy Spirit may have more insight than I have, I asked Him, "What 'stop signs' have been moving past too quickly?" This was His answer:

"I have put stop points in Your day. First thing in the morning, nap time, and in the evening, for example. During those times, put aside all your doings and stop. Be with Me. Rest in Me. Let me fill you, refresh you, invigorate you, envision you. There are times for doing. But take the time to stop with Me."

I am happy to report that I have been doing a bit better in this area. This morning when I woke, I used the five minutes I had before getting the kids up to sit down and pray (instead of getting dressed - did that later - much later). I asked for wisdom and direction and that my words, tone of voice, and facial expressions would reflect Him today. (Not that I succeeded perfectly in this - not even close - but I figure if I keep asking He will surely help me to get closer each day.) Then, halfway through the morning when I started to feel "a quart low" (a favorite quote of my quotable son from the Pixar movie, Cars), I went into my walk-in closet, closed the door, and just lay on the floor for a few minutes, asking to be refilled and re-envisioned. And He did that, in spite of the fact that the door was opened several times by inquisitive children wanting to know why Mommy was lying on the closet floor!

So I encourage you to take some time to come to a "complete stop" today too. It can be really hard to do. It may seem like a waste of time. But you'll be glad you did.