Article April 11, 1994 Issue

Spiritual stillness

When demands on you are overwhelming, be still and listen for God's direction.

Susan B. Thomas

I Overheard two colleagues as they were having lunch one day. "What a morning!" one said. "Phones ringing, everyone wanting things done right away. It just never stops. I'm exhausted."

"It's just the same in our office" said the other. "It's always like that at this time of year. But you wouldn't want to be bored, would you?"

Their situation sounded very familiar. I had just gone through the same line of thinking. I had a great amount of work to do—too much—but the various projects all seemed worthwhile, even exciting. I had a number of new ideas, too, that I would have liked to suggest at work, but I couldn't even find the opportunity to sit quietly for a few minutes and think them through. I would get especially disturbed when I had to do tasks that seemed to me useless or, even worse, were part of someone else's job. I also had home and family responsibilities and a few volunteer activities that seemed right for me to do. And, most important, I didn't want to be without sufficient time for prayer, spiritual study, and my church duties. It must be terrible to be bored, but I certainly felt that I wouldn't mind just a little less to do!

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