Get A Rocking Chair

“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10, NLT)

Maybe you already have one. You may have acquired your first rocking chair when you brought home that first bundle of joy a million years ago. If it was well-made and well-kept, you might still have it. It could be on your front porch or back patio, or still in your family room. Maybe you recently moved it into the newly redecorated guest room that was once a teenager’s pigsty of a bedroom.

That rocking chair may have been a place for nursing a newborn, thinking deep thoughts, waiting with a shotgun for your daughter to come home from the prom, recovering from an illness or surgery, or rehearsing for old age.

The very act of rocking—especially while soothing an infant—leads to the comforting realization that there is more to life than the here and now. Much has been said and written about seizing the day and striking while the iron is hot. However, a rocking chair serves as a physical reminder of the value of slowing down.

It’s a cliché, but there are reasons older folks like to sit on the front porch and rock. The fresh air. Just enough “exercise” to keep the blood moving. The elevated vantage point to see what’s going on in the world. Greeting visitors as they stroll past. And, as described in Psalm 46:10, being still, praying, and listening to God. Knowing Him.

With that thought, let’s all look forward to being the kind of senior citizen who rocks, prays, loves, remembers back, looks ahead with a sense of gratitude, and humbly shares wisdom with all we meet.

This idea is so fundamental to the role of a grandparent that I recommend doubling or tripling down on your rockers. Get a second identical rocking chair for your spouse, friend, or teenage grandchild so they can join you in quiet conversation and wisdom sharing. Also, get a smaller version for that youngster who emulates everything you do.

I am 100 percent sure we could use a little more stillness these days. Not just to know God, but to exalt Him. That is confirmed in the second part of Psalm 46:10. After reading “Be still, and know that I am God,” we are promised: “I will be honored by every nation, I will be honored throughout the world.”

You may not have realized it until now, but sitting quietly in your rocking chair offers you one of the best chances to know God and honor Him among all the nations on earth.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Stillness is almost impossible these days. Distractions are constant. We wear busyness as a badge of honor and confuse activity with progress. The loudest voice gets our attention. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The most obnoxious social media gets shared. Buzzing smartphones beckon us constantly. Is stillness possible? Go ahead and try it. Twenty seconds of silence, even now. If that works, try being still for twenty minutes, or twenty days.