A Pleasant Pause

I am currently reading "The Shack" by WM Paul Young. After our visit by Tropical Storm Hanna 2 weekends ago, a paragraph in the book really grasped my attention.

"There is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine. You are suddenly released from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules..... Everyone understands and shares in this singular justification, and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to produce makes the heart merry."

As much as I dreaded the possibility of losing power as the storm approached, there was still a small part of me that embraced the opportunity. Forcibly, there were no errands to run, no sales to shop for, no hearty meals to cook, no deadlines to meet. Just quiet time with my family-- still time. I believe our primary responsibility as Christians is too serve-- but in our society, I think we take this to such an extreme that we leave little time to just "Be still, and know that He is God." It's almost as if we feel guilty if we take a few minutes to do nothing-- anxiously analyzing what on our list will not get crossed off at the end of the day. That Friday was a "still" day; a day spent counting my blessings and spending uninterrupted and peaceful time with my family. Instead of a quiet calm after the storm, it was a quiet calm during one.