I Just Need To Calm Down

My Freshmen year, I had an amazing dorm section and one of the best roommates ever. We had this saying that went around the section. I don’t remember how it was started but I feel my roommate was the one who used it first or at least the most. The saying was “you just need to calm down.” Of course, if we ever were really stressing out this wouldn’t have helped. So we often used it in an exciting moment, or just a moment that needed comic relief.

Fast forward to about 10 years or so and this saying often comes to mind. When I begin getting frustrated, over worked, or annoyed…or when texting my old roommate. Today, was a snow day for me. Both teachers and students’ dream come true (yes, I know there are some teachers out there who hate snow days because they have to redo lessons and so forth, but in reality I really like them…but don’t tell my students that). Better than a snow day, a snow day on a Monday! Sign me up for that every week!

While I was enjoying my snow day, I took a break from reading to sip my hot chocolate and look out the window while a graceful and quiet set of flakes of snow fell to the ground. I began to think about what I would have been doing by this time if I had to be at work. I then began to think of how just a week ago, I had went on a walk with a co-worker in a park and how the weather actually changed pretty quickly. Being who I am I jumped from all that to thinking about how last year around this time I was panicked about my future, stressed out about my job, overworked and probably feeling sick from thick solution called Yellow Dust.

God has truly changed my life in just over a year. As I continue in this school year, I am hit with trying to understand what God his doing in my life. It may take some time to truly see God’s work in my life this school year but here is what I see so far. After three years in South Korea I was so exhausted I didn’t even realize how weakened I was. Even though this year is a transition year for sure, I feel that God has given me a period of rest. Starting in January I decided to start listening (because…sometimes my eyes are just tired and I don’t want to read) to the Bible on Audible. While listening I came about this verse from Exodus 33:14 “And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” I understand that this verse is in reference to Moses fleeing with the Israelites out of Egypt but it connects to where I am currently.  Though, this year is a transition year and I have had to work, somehow God has given me rest. It has taken me awhile to feel like myself (till November) and it has taken a little longer to feel like my teacher-self (till the end of January). However, God is good and He is providing for me and allowing me to rest.

Sometimes, “I just need to calm down.” Throughout the Bible God tells us to take time to rest. I don’t know about your life but mine is often all consuming with a never ending list of things to do. However, it is important to take time to rest. Our schedules do not have to be full all the time. So on this snow day I was able to rest, to read, to listen to books, and to clean my apartment. It was a restful day that ended up making me “calm down”.