God Appears in Our Stillness

By Marijo Herndon

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God..."

~Psalm 46:10

Patience hasn't always been one of my virtues. I do most things quickly, and I expect others to do so, too. "Are you done yet?" "Are we there yet?" and "How long will it take?" are on my list of favorite things to say. Enjoying the journey has never been something I was good at. My eyes are always on the next thing to do, or the next place to go, or the next person to meet.

However, I married a man who has the patience of a saint. My husband is the type of person who can savor the moment. When we're vacationing at the ocean, I can look at the waves for a few minutes and then say, "Okay, let's do something else," while my husband can sit and enjoy the magnitude of the vast water for hours.

One day, while in Maine, we were sitting in our car, looking out at the ocean and watching the seagulls swoop up and down over the beach. One of them landed on the hood of our car and stared at me. We could see people in neighboring cars throwing bread to the other birds, but we didn't have any food. I couldn't understand why that seagull would have chosen to land on our car. And I certainly didn't know why he would look at me the way he did. He sat there for forty-five minutes, never taking his eyes off of me or moving a feather. I was so entertained by him.

Later that day, my husband told me that he had prayed something would keep me there, peacefully, in that car. He asked God to show me something that would make me slow down and just enjoy the day.

After years of marriage, I finally get him. I understand why he loves to linger on something for a long time. There is peace in each moment. There is God in that quietness. In those ordinary, simple pleasures, there is an extraordinary pay-off. I can hear my own thoughts, enjoy the presence of my husband in that stillness, and feel God's presence between us.

I've noticed that I don't experience God's best when I'm on the run. I don't feel His peace like I do when I'm just sitting with the man I gave my life to twenty-five years ago. I've learned to slow down, relish every moment, and be more like my husband, who taught me what God had in store all along.

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