Finding a Rhythm

BY: PEYTON JADE GOTTSCHALK

Stillness, by nature, is not my cup of tea.

I am an extravert. A “go-getter.” An adventurer. 

Sitting still or taking the time to process my thoughts sounds terrible to me.

Let me put this into perspective for those of you who are more inclined to rest, to take things easy, and process things more regularly.

My alarm goes off at 4:30 most mornings for me to get ready for a 5 o’clock shift at work. I will work for six to eight hours before coming home to deep clean the house while FaceTiming my best friend, prepping dinner and drawing up the floor plan for my dream home all at the same time. I know this might sound like an exaggeration but trust me. It’s not.

Then, if I have a little time left before my husband comes home, I will run to the store to buy another plant to pot or a surprise treat for dessert that night. I refuse to sit still until I finally lay in bed around 10 or 11 at night… I’d prefer to keep the day going longer and sleep 3-4 hours max, but my guy has taught me what it means to implement a slightly better sleep schedule. 

I am not trying to brag or say I don’t need stillness. I know I need to add some (or a lot) of quiet moments into my routine. It just isn’t something I think about on my own. 

Thankfully, the Lord knows what I need far more than I do. He has surrounded me with a close-knit circle of people who constantly speak truth into my life. My best friends, my husband and my mom always encourage me to take a step back and breathe. 

It’s not that being a busy body is a curse or anything, it’s more so about who we were created to be. And we can only truly thrive when we live out a life in accordance to how it was intended to be. 

HE calls us to stillness. He calls us to meet with Him. He wants us to rest under the shade of a tree and take in a deep breath.

I don’t know about you, but when I am running around chasing after the finish line of my to-do list, I cannot hear what God is telling me as clearly. I cannot see what He is currently doing in my life as clearly. 

The Bible is so so clear on the Lord’s stance on stillness:

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:7

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Pslam 46:10

So this month, I am going to chase a new to-do list. I want to run after a healthy stillness, where I am living out the life I am meant to live, without over-exhausting myself. I want to live out this life to the rhythm the Lord sets… not the one I force upon myself. Because if we are being honest, I set a rhythm that belongs in a heavy metal song. While I am pretty sure God is more in favor of life being like a Towr’s album, mostly soothing and peaceful beats, that still stir up deep thought and emotion—with a balanced addition of upbeat hits that get you dancing around your living room.

Peyton is a freelance journalist who strides through every day with a little coffee and a lot of Jesus. If she’s not scribbling away in a journal at a corner café she is probably watercolor painting, baking pastries or exploring new hobbies.