Shhhh...

Almost every night we have the same ritual in our house. When it reaches Maggie's bedtime, I try to distract her and bribe her into her bedroom. We read a story and rock. Many nights Mackenzie joins us. I would like to think it is because she loves her baby sister so much that she wants to share in this lovely moment, but really I think it is that she just doesn't want Maggie to be alone with me. Anyway, there sit the three of us on the rocking chair-me holding Maggie and Mackenzie sitting on the arm of the chair flopping around like a fish out of water- and it usually goes something like this: "Mackenzie be still, Mackenzie be quiet or you will have to go sit in the hallway. Mommy can't you just put Maggie in the bed?" And on it goes until Maggie gets so bored of all this and tunes us out and falls asleep.

Tonight was no different, except that Mackenzie has now taken to singing Maggie to sleep. This is probably due to the vocal stylings of her dear mother when she is trying to go to sleep. ( I have discovered that Don't Cry for Me Argentina puts a kid in a deep sleep in no time- I was running out of material). However, Maggie is not impressed with her songbird sister yet. So, in true Maggie fashion, as Mackenzie was jabbering on and intermittently singing, she looked over at her sister and raised her finger to her mouth and said "shhh." Mackenzie was utterly offended. I had to refrain from laughing. Of course as one who has been shhh-ed before, I do understand the hurt.

It wasn't until later that I realized that maybe God feels like little Maggie sometimes. Maybe He just wants us to be quiet for once. Maybe He wants us to stop talking about everything- our finances, our kids, our marriages, our jobs, our health, whatever. Maybe He wants us to be still and just rock with Him, snuggle up, and love Him.

Be still and know that I am God.

Don't get me wrong, He wants us to talk to Him, about everything. And He is concerned with all that concerns us. But every once in a while, crawl up in His lap, take your blankie and rock. Be quiet and still and love Him.