By Josephine Lim-Weston
Yesterday after leaving my office, I saw a man holding his umbrella for a very old man who was walking extremely slow in small steps. “He must be very patient and definitely has a kind soul,” I thought. It was raining. He could have continued walking quickly to reach his destination and not getting wet (like most of us would do) instead he cared enough to stop for a moment, shield the old man from the rain and kept him company talking with the old man kindly and patiently and on another hand holding on to his briefcase.
That spoke to me as I wonder how many of us will stop for a moment to help someone. How many of us would stop for a moment to think, to rest, to give thanks, to greet someone, to properly look around us, to send an email or a text or call someone to encourage them, to pray and spend quiet time with the Lord, to read the scripture, to smell the flowers or to pray for someone? All we need is to stop for a moment and show a little kindness to ourselves and others. Yes, ourselves too!
Have we stop to rest?
Have we stop to recap?
Have we stop to recharge and refresh?
Have we stop to think/meditate/listen or just be quiet?
Have we stop to ask?
Have we stop to read?
Have we stop for an act of kindness no matter how small it may be?
Have we got a moment for God or for ourselves or others?
Have we stop to breathe?
Some people went on a solo trip to be alone and recharged. Some went on a retreat just to detox their mind and body.
By stopping just a little moment will not make us anything less but we’ll be surprised how much value it will add to our lives and total wellbeing. Too many rat races going on around us and we have absorbed ourselves into the same routine whether we realised it or not. It’s time to unclutter our thoughts and get back our sight. It’s time to stop ignoring whatever that’s in front of us. We are missing out by not stopping. Will we take time to stop for a moment and look at what God wants to show us? Stop for a moment and you’ll be surprised what will unveil before our eyes and within our hearts.
Most of the time it is not when we stopped that we missed but it’s when we failed to stop that we missed and lost it altogether.
It’s time to stop for a moment for our emotional, physical and spiritual well being. God is calling on his people to stop for a moment – do you have time for me? That decision can be life-changing.
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 10
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
