The last few years have felt like we only operate off of two seasons: busy and very busy. Before all the COVID-19 shutdowns, our family was gearing up for what was about to be another very busy season. The first half of the year includes my book launch and our Deeply Rooted Magazine launch, but our family schedule was just as jam-packed, if not more. Between church and soccer alone, we would have activities scheduled six out seven days of the week. I looked forward to June when I knew the soccer season would end, the book would be published, the magazine released, and I would have the kid's Summer break to throttle back on all our commitments. I already made a promise to myself and my family that I would not take anything extra on and that I would be intentional about resting during the Summer season. But honestly, I'm glad that rest came sooner.
When all the shelter in place orders surfaced, and the regular rhythms of life for the American population came to a halt, our family, like many others, were forced into a period of rest. I don’t like what caused this to happen, but I know that God is in control and wastes nothing, and so we've chosen to be intentional about not wasting our time too. Though much of my work hasn't changed—it's always been a remote job—and I do have added work with distance learning, there are still more pockets of rest than what I would have had if business continued as usual. But I’m learning that how I rest matters. We are free to rest in a variety of ways, but it’s true that binge-watching tv doesn’t reap the same reward that spending time in the Word does. I’ve been trying to cautiously navigate that reality.
One way that I've been resting is by reading again, and, oh, what a treat that has been! Sadly, I've haven't read many books from cover to cover since I started writing my book two years ago! I tried to avoid reading books while writing one just so that my thoughts remained original. All that to say, I'm excited to have completed "Be Still My Soul" by Elisabeth Elliot.
Although I've read some of her newsletters and I've quoted her on several occasions via the Deeply Rooted Instagram, this is the first time I've actually read one of her books, and I honestly don't know why it's taken me so long! In ways, her writing style is remarkably similar to my own. She calls out her current culture, is blunt, and aims to tie everything back to the Gospel. It's almost eerie reading some of the things she's written because I unknowingly penned similar ideas in my book! (I guess that’s what happens when you share the same Holy Spirit and have love for the same Bible, ha!) That said, there are still so many thoughts I haven’t processed and reading her words is gleaning wisdom from a wise mentor. Sprinkled throughout the book, Ms. Elliot candidly shares about her own experiences as a daughter, wife, mother, missionary, writer, and public speaker and how those experiences have shaped her understanding of abiding in Jesus.
The tagline for "Be Still My Soul" is "Cultivating Stillness in Our Can't Stop World," and that truly is the heart of the book. Though Ms. Elliot wrote this in 2003 and stands before Jesus today, her words remain timeless for this day and age. We truly are in a “can’t stop” world and I am just as guilty of that lifestyle. Woven into short, easy-to-read chapters are profound truths calling us to stop and consider the riches that are ours in Christ. It's not just a call to remember these truths but a call to be intentional about fixing our minds on them continuously above all other things. This idea of deliberate stillness is quite counter-cultural. At times, I tend to rush my stillness before the Lord (if that’s even possible), and so, these reminders blessed me immensely as I strive to practice intentional stillness in this unique season of life.
One of the main themes woven throughout the book is that there is a cost to follow Jesus. While following Him guarantees us peace, joy, and eternal blessings, it also demands humility, weakness, servanthood, and suffering. We want the peace but we don't want the humility. We want the joy but we don't want the weakness. We want the blessings, but we don't naturally want to serve or endure suffering. Everything that we are called to as Christians is the opposite of our natural self! And yet, God has given us a Helper. What God calls us to, He equips us for, and the hard things end up becoming the very places where we are refined. Ms. Elliot writes, "We can rest assured that the situation in which we find ourselves (and nowhere else) is the very place where God wants to meet us. It is here that we will grow into the likeness of Christ. So this means that the suffering itself is not meaningless; it is not 'for nothing.' It is an element in God's loving purpose."
At one point in the book, she shared a prayer from her younger years:
"Work Your whole will in my life at any cost."
Wow. Those words struck me to my core. How easy it is to imitate Jesus and let the words, "Thy will be done," roll off our tongue but it's an entirely different thing to acknowledge that it will cost us something. For Ms. Elliot, this would range in many hardships from the loss of her husband in the jungles of South America to professing Christians criticizing her writing and life experiences well into her career. But she remained confident in her Comforter:
“He is not finished with us yet, whatever the losses we suffer. As we lose hold on visible things, the invisible ones become more prestigious. Where our treasure is, there will our hearts be (Matt. 6:21).
And in another place she writes:
Three eternal and unshakable verities were what held me and comforted me during the terminal illness of my second husband, Add. I told myself the truth: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Nothing can undermine those facts . . . The One who has the keys is the One who is in charge. And if we have given our lives to Him, we are able to accept everything that happens to us as from His hands.
There are ten chapters, and each can pretty much stand alone on its own. I tend to pick up books that are above my reading level or even theological understanding, but then I become overwhelmed and never finish. So, if you haven't read in a while or anything like me, this is a great book to start. But I caution you with this: don't let its readability fool you. She uses Gospel truth and Scripture to cut straight to the heart. There’s a lot to chew on and I know I am changed after reading it. Whenever things “get back to normal”, I am asking the Lord for help to continuously quiet my heart and be still every single day, no matter how busy we are. I'm grateful for this book and I pray it blesses you too!
Here are a few of the quotes I underlined and highlighted:
God was not asleep when John the Baptist got his head chopped off. His attention was not deflected when Stephen was stoned to death. God was still in heaven when His Son was nailed to the cross. Jesus Himself knew what was going to happen to Him. He agonized in the garden over His approaching death. He had not, however, worked His way through the five stages of grief. Instead, He showed us the shortcut to peace, which is acceptance. He acquiesced, trustingly to the will of His Father. (pg. 44-45)
Our perspective is so limited. We keep forgetting that God’s love does not show itself only in protection from suffering. It is of a different nature altogether. His love does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands firm in the teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son from death on a cross. That was the proof of His love, though "legions of angels” might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us—not from anything it takes to make us more like Jesus. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process. Through it all, we learn to trust Him in every little thing. (pg. 48)
The secret is Christ in me, not in a different set of circumstances. (pg. 51)
The rule of heaven is “Thy will be done.” The rule of hell is “My will be done.” ( pg. 71)
As His servants, we pay attention to how we react to slights and hurts, because we realize that wherever we are being self-protective or irritated, we most likely do not yet possess a servant’s heart. (pg. 87)
God is more interested in our response than He is in the tangible results (pg. 87).
Our praying is not some kind of internal dialogue or an exercise in futility. God is listening. (pg. 98)
The suffering of Jesus includes not only physical pain, but also emotional and spiritual agony. From the moment He was born in a stable and the world for the first time heard the voice of God wailing as a newborn, He suffered. As Jesus’ suffering included the full range of human experiences, so does ours. I fall back on a simple definition of suffering: “having what you don’t want, or wanting what you don’t have.” That pretty much covers the matter—everything from the grossest injustices to the quarrel you had this morning with your spouse. (pg. 110)
I don’t need to tell you that this is an unpopular approach to life. Our society has become obsessed with comfort and fun and personal fulfillment. We are accustomed to fixing things or finding experts to solve every problem. We get impatient when traffic lights malfunction or we are sick for too long. We are not legendary heroes or heroines. We are not gluttons for punishment. We are only ordinary folks who get out of very comfortable beds in the morning, brush our teeth with running water, put on whatever we like to wear, and eat whatever we want for breakfast. Our lives generally don’t seem to call for much courage. We are so accustomed to luxury it ruins our day if the air conditioner quits or the waiter says they’re fresh out of cherry cheesecake. We expect to get things fixed—fast. When we can’t, we are at a loss. (pg. 110)
What counts the most is our response to everything. It is not what happens to us, but how we respond and how we look to God for strength and guidance. Two thieves were crucified next to Jesus. One of them recognized his guilt, understood who Jesus was and what He could do, and responded with repentance for his sin. Jesus told him, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” The other responded with venom. Their immediate circumstances were unchanged. Both thieves were still nailed to their crosses, dying. Their response made all the difference. (pg. 126).
If this book sounds like something you want to read, you can Click TO purchase it here! :)
Please note: This post is not affiliated with the publisher of this book. I purchased the book on my own and am sharing it on my own. However, the links within the post are affiliate links with Amazon. Blogging takes time, and this is one small way that it helps contribute to my family. I almost always buy my books from Amazon and I would've directed you there, regardless. :)