A Time to Stand and a Time to Move
Meg Chaney
There are two portions of scritpure that have long been favorites of mine. The first comes from Psalm 46, words I memorized way back in my high school days. In Psalm 46, we’re reminded that God above is our refuge and our strength. Our all powerful God controls the wind, the waves, the very rising and falling of kingdoms, He is present in all of this and more. At the end of the chapter, we find verse 10:
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
I have often needed such a reminder, to be still, to lesson distractions, to trust that our God is ultimately in control. There’s another place in scripture that I also love. In the book of Exodus, the Israelites have just followed Moses out of Egypt. They’ve come to the Red Sea, when the look behind them and see Pharaoh and his chariots chasing them:
“But Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.’”
I truly believe that our hearts have to be settled. We have to quiet down our lives so that His peace can truly dwell in our hearts. Often, we stay so busy, so distracted, that we don’t even have time to listen to His voice. I’m oh, so guilty of this! With our recent military move, with kids at two different school, multiple Bible studies that I’m a member of, other ways I’m looking to volunteer and be a part of the community, I can quickly fill my days to the brim. And yet, God calls me to moments of stillness, He calls me to seasons of letting go of somethings, so that I can wait for Him to His word in new ways.
In Exodus, right after Moses encourages the people to not be afraid, do you know what happens, friends? The LORD parts the Red Sea so that they can all walk through to the other side. I’ve heard this story since I was a little girl, but it never ceases to amaze me! They were so afraid, and the LORD still came through in such a miraculous way. He moved a giant, powerful body of water out of the way so that they could walk right through. But they had to pause, and let the LORD provide for them. No amount of trying on their own could succeed. They couldn’t lift that water out of the way. Maybe a bucket at a time, but that’s about it. On their own, that water would have still stood there, separating them from the Promised Land. But they stopped, and the LORD provided!
Through my season with little ones at home, I put a lot of my life on hold. No, I’m not sure I want to say that exactly. I let go of other dreams so that I could live completely in the present with my little ones. I invested every day to them. I didn’t write as much, I didn’t seek a career out of the home (although bless all of you that do! You’re amazing, and living right where God wants you to be!). I lived right then and there with them. And now, they’re both in school. That long season of waiting is through, and I find myself continuing to ask, what now? What’s before me? I’ve prayed, been in Bible Study, and continued to wait and listen. And then, I read this in my Bible study last week:
“But standing firm is not only about digging in; it’s also about moving forward. It’s about going into enemy territory from a strong position of victory and taking back ground he’s sought to steal from us.”
You all, Pricilla’s words struck me so deep! As I look at my own heart, I can definitely see areas I need to reclaim. Yes, standing firm and strong is so important. That is why I always seek out Christian community and fellowship, why I make Bible study a priority in my life. I want to stand firm. But there’s a time to move as well. I time to claim back some things I didn’t truly even realize that Satan had grabbed ahold of. By doing this, I don’t stop standing, I don’t stop listening. No, I’m still continuing to do that, but I’m also moving forward. I’m taking that first step across the Red Sea, trusting that the LORD will part the waters, trusting that He has something intentional in store for me on the other side. I’m standing, but I’m also moving forward, I’m looking toward what’s up ahead.
Yes, there’s a time to stand, but there’s also a time to move. Instead of feeling sad that my kids are getting older, and may not need me exactly like they used to, I find myself excited, excited for the new things up ahead of me. Excited for the way God may use me, my gifts, my talents, for His kingdom. Being a Mama will always be one of my most important callings, but it’s time to start moving, and see what else may be in store!