everybody's got someplace to go...

I live about 30 minutes away from where I work. I live another half hour away (in the other direction) from our church where I also work. I drive alot. Since band practice is on only one night of the week, the whole Home-Work-Church-Home thing doesn't happen all the time, but meetings are scheduled and things happen at the church that I need to be at, so it does happen often. Below is a little visual illustration, so you can get your bearings on what I am describing:Ok, good now that we are on the same page, let's move on. Being that I am in the car very often. I get to do alot of cool things. Talk with my wife (we work together... best carpooling buddy I ever did have). Listen to music (I love my music). Listen to podcasts. Listen to people. Listen to people lay on their horns and be really mean for no apparent reason. No joke - We were at a stop light the other day and an older lady was in the turn lane to our right, but she was trying to get back over into our lane. All this action was a few cars ahead of us. A guy pulls up behind her, and he was trying to turn but obviously couldn't. He's in this metallic green Mustang with a lot of tailpipes. She's in an old Buick. He begins to honk like crazy, revving up his super sweet car (which just got so much cooler because it was super loud...sarcasm), lurching forward nearling hitting her, over and over again. I was so mad. This lady was scared. Finally, the light turned green and she got in our lane, and the mean Mustang guy tore off around the corner, tires squealing and everything. Why? Why are people in such a rush?

I am not saying that I am not occasionally in a rush. I am in a rush sometimes. I have been pegged as an "easy going person" so i guess that means that I'm not in a rush that often. I'm not talking about traffic, I'm talking about life. Day to day stuff. Rushing through your tasks at work. Rushing through conversations. Rushing through your time with God.

Do our surroundings cause us to be in a rush? Picture this... you're having a picnic down by a stream, mountains surrounding you, butterflies, beautiful grass, flowing water, all you hear is the smooth sound of the water making its way through the pass. Pretty nice scene right? Is this kind of place going to cause you to be in a huge rush? Probably not. Unless you're a crazy and don't appreciate a beautiful landscape. If you're in a huge traffic jam, tempers are rising, the tention is getting thick, people are angry, honking, yelling, the cars start to seem alot closer to your car than before... it gets frantic and you begin to panic and want to get out of there. That situation can cause one to rush.

How can we not rush and just relax even in hectic, crazy, uncertain times?

Another story. The other day I went out to get some lunch during work. My wife couldn't come, so it was just me. I've been to this Panera Bread often but I don't really like going there, not because of the food, but because of this particular location's parking situation. It took me literally 15 min to find a spot. This parking lot is very, very small too. Probably 60 yds / 30 yds. I was so frustrated when I got back to work, so I drew a picture of the parking lot so I could share with you my frustration:

If you can, please follow the arrows. This place is tight. Not cool "tight", but "tight" like I'm suffocating tight. With all the "one ways" you feel like your in a factory on a conveyer belt just riding through on your way to be boxed up and shipped out somewhere. The most painful part about it was that I missed a spot by like 10 sec like 15 times! I would see one open up but couldn't get to it in time. I really could not believe the number of people in this parking lot. It was so confusing and maddening.

Everybody had some place to go... Everybody was rushing... Where? With Who? Is it worthwhile?

God addresses rushing in scripture. He makes it pretty simple acutally...

Psalm 46:10... Be still, and know that I Am God.

"Be Still" "Stop." "Quiet down." "Chill out." "Shhh..." "It's cool, I'm here." "Stop running, walk with Me." These are the thoughts and words that flood my mind when I picture God saying "Be Still." On the other hand it could also be Him slapping us upside the head, saying "Be Still!"

He tells us why to be still in the end of verse 10. "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." He is really all that matters anyway. Why do we strive for meaningless, empty things? Why do we put our time into things that waste away? We must live our lives as worship to Him. The One who means the most, who will never waste away. The Giver of Life, Everlasting. Let's be still and invest in that relationship. Give Him the time He deserves, which is ALL of your time. That means that worshiping God should be your lifestyle. He deserves it. He deserves your life, because we deserved His death.

Be still.