'Be Still and know'

“Be still and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
 
Have you been busy lately?
While doing work with new Americans through Lutheran Social Services in Sioux Falls, I once heard the comment made that for many who are learning our English language, one of the first things they learn to say (because they feel that it is the “acceptable” thing to say) is “I’m so busy.” As in, “How are you doing?” “I am so busy, just so busy.”
Does that sound familiar to you?
Busy is … a sickness. Could we even go so far to say it could be an addiction? I often find myself sometimes feeling like I am MORE productive when I have a lot to do, and a little more sluggish when I don’t.
Many are able to recognize that their stress exceeds levels that are healthy.
Then what do you suppose is the most frequent reason people give for not addressing this problem?  Well, being too busy to do anything about it!
In a news article titled, “Busy is the new sick,” Dr. Suzanne Koven, who is a primary care physician and Writer in Residence at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, wrote about being busy.
“In the past few years, I’ve observed an epidemic of sorts:  Patient after patient suffering from the same condition,” she wrote.
“The symptoms of this condition include fatigue, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, heartburn, bowel disturbances, back pain, and weight gain. There are no blood tests or x-rays diagnostic of this condition, and yet it’s easy to recognize.  The condition is excessive busyness.”
Now we all know that excessive stress is simply not good for our health, but notice something. Dr. Koven did not name stress.  She named busyness. And she called it an epidemic.
People are, Americans are, very busy. I wonder if we don’t sometimes wear our busyness as a badge of honor.
We can be easily and frequently distracted in our busyness, and easily and frequently distracted by the noise of life.  This can make it very difficult to see God. 
Yet God invites us into something better than this, into something healthier than this:
Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that
I am God!
I am exalted among
the nations,
I am exalted in the earth."
 
What are the things that distract you from seeing God at work in your life and in the world? Are there ways for you to clear that clutter and “be still” with God? Where are you hearing and feeling Jesus inviting you back into his arms, where the burden is easy and the yoke is light?