Our Mom’s Group has been journeying through a book entitled “7: A Mutiny Against Excess” by Jen Hatmaker. The book has caused me to really reflect on life and all the excess that is a part of our lives, especially in the areas of food, media, possessions, clothing, waste and stress. These last few weeks, we have been delving into stress and how much of it we have in our lives. One of the ways Jen Hatmaker encourages her readers to remove stress from their lives is to take seven “pauses” throughout the day where you refocus on God.

Now, I am not sure how it is in your life, but sometimes I feel like I never have a quiet moment to myself. I feel like I am running from event to event, work to home, answering question upon question, leaving little time for God. And the thought of adding one more thing into that schedule seems impossible and, even more, stressful! At first, I was a little overwhelmed with pausing seven different times to reflect, read a Psalm and pray. However, I welcomed the challenge to take intentional pauses with God. I set my alarm on my phone so that I would be reminded to stop and take the 5 minutes to pause. At first, it was difficult to squeeze in the “interruptions”. But what I found is that I became a more intentional believer. I saw God in places that I didn’t think I would see him. I found more and more that I was thankful for. And the stress that seemed to overwhelm me didn’t seem so overwhelming anymore.

What would it be like if we all took pauses during the day to realign ourselves and open ourselves to God’s Spirit? What would it be like if we allowed God to enter into our day more often? I challenge you to take some time to intentionally “pause” during your day and see what God will show you. I pray that it becomes a blessing in your life and leads you into a deeper relationship with God.