be still, my soul

Busyness and God. How do you pursue a relationship with God while juggling the pressures of life? This is one of the biggest things I struggle with as a believer. If you know me, you know that I am constantly on the go! Whether that be with work, or school, or volunteering, I always have something going on. My friends and I have this on running joke, that we'll try to pencil each other in two weeks from now, because we literally have zero time until then! So how do you pencil in God in your busy week? And how do you deepen your relationship in the midst of all the chaos?

Tip #1: Find designated times! While this may sound a little ridiculous, it does work! They may short time frames or sporadic moments, but they all count. The goal really is just to make time for Him. Some is better than none! Some of my usual "Jesus" times are while I'm driving. I'll turn on some Worship music and just listen or recently I've even tried turning everything off and and just talking to Him. I'll talk to Him about my day or something I'm struggling with, anything that my mind is focused on. At first this was something that felt completely out of the ordinary and uncomfortable, but aren't most things in relationships? Another time of day I often try to spend with Him are my mornings. If I wake up on time and have at least 15 minutes to myself, I'll try to spend it journaling, reading my bible, or catching up on my devotionals. If the morning doesn't allow that and I wake up late, which is the most common occurrence, I'll pray while I curl my hair, or talk to him while I put on make up, or even listening to worship music in the background. I think my favorite time spent with Him though is at night. Usually when I'm snuggled up in bed, exhausted from the day, and on the verge of sleep, I have the best conversations with God. During this time I am able to reflect all the goods and bads, express gratitude, or just pray. I love this time the most because it can bring perspective on a bad day and it can help you to reflect on all the small things God's doing in your life that maybe you'd normally overlook.

Tip #2: is to remember that this is a relationship. Like any relationship, in order for it to be successful you need to talk, you need to spend time together, and you need to be able to make sacrifices for the other person. And I don't mean Old Testament stuff, no lambs need to die, but I mean sacrificing things like sleep, money, or just time. Because it's not always going to be an easy thing to do. One week you can be flying high, reading your bible every day, being the "perfect little christian" and the next can be so chaotic that the only time you actually talk to God is when you prayed once before dinner with your family!  But that's what having a relationship is all about! It's work. And in order to keep a healthy one, it's going to take working at it everyday.

Tip #3: Last but not least, you need to know that he loves you! Most often I am so caught up in the fact that I need to try harder with Him, that I forget who He is. I forget his grace and mercy and I focus on how o

ne day of not praying means I am doomed to hell. When in reality God's love surrounds us day by day, and he tells us this in his word. His love is steadfast and unchanging, His love comforts us, His love is revealed by Jesus Christ, His love is poured into us through the Holy Spirit, and His love compels us to love one another! A verse to remember in these busy days, weeks, or  months, is Psalm 86:15,  But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.