STOP

Trever and I have had all of our babies named well before they were born. We often have a boy name and a girl name, and then when we find out what we are having, we ditch the other name and are all set. I have never totally understood the couples who would wait until the baby was born to choose a name. I have always wanted to be prepared I guess.

But I was thinking about this today, because although I gave a lot of thought to naming this year my year of prayer, I am thinking it makes sense to wait until I can see how the year unfolds before selecting a fitting name. I guess it sometimes makes sense to gaze something (or someone) in the face before you know what it should be called.

Prayer is certainly still my priority. Yet, I am finding there are other words that are forming my year. Like STOP. The year of STOP is not nearly as spiritual sounding, it's true, but my, oh my. How I have needed to learn and relearn this one word.

I can not pray unless I commit to STOP.

I can not have patience with my children, teach them, love them, speak kind words, be gentle, or so many other things, unless I first stop.

You know those moments when everything gets loud and crazy and you think your head might pop off? The moment when you most want to yell ugly and slam doors and just hide? That is when I need to STOP. To breathe. To pray.

See? I can't pray unless I STOP.

And when I hear the chime of the clock on the hour, it reminds me to pray. But I have to STOP in order to do that too. Because when I think, in just a minute, the moment is gone and that minute never comes and life crowds in. Every single time.

Does that happen to you, too?

Stopping is not easy. I have a tendency to get going and want to just finish this one thing... and see? The thing is, it's not about me. It's about Him. And I can't see Him if I don't pray. And I can't pray if I won't STOP.

Some things in life are simple, but they are not easy. And this is one: the lesson of stopping.