Be Still

Zeteo Community!

Hello again! Apparently I decided to take a few-weeks hiatus from writing the blog, but here I am. Hopefully I was not too terribly missed, (;. (Is it cheesy to use computer faces on here? Probably. I am a mom now, I am allowed to get a little cheesy.)

Please enjoy the post for today. If you have any questions, comments, stories to add, I would love to hear from you.

God bless you all!
Olivia Fischer


Week 1: Be Still

I am surprised, over and over again, how well the experiences in my life tend to correspond with the theme of the previous Zeteo, and so, the blog posts I am meant to write.

On Monday, I had a really productive day. I had a huge todo list, and I ended up accomplishing every last thing on it. However, I sat down at the end of the day, and I had the feeling that I was missing something. With all I had accomplished, I still felt there was something I had forgotten.

Then someone posted this:

God speaking to me through social media, yet again. Every time I encounter these words, I think of God saying in Psalm 46:10 : "Be still and know that I am God." At the last Zeteo event, our first speaker was a consecrated single person from Madonna House named Janet. She handed us all a copy of the mandate of Madonna House. It is really very simple, and really very beautiful.

At one point, she asked us all to close our eyes, and to listen to the words as she read them aloud. If any of the words stood out to us, she asked that we underline them.

Arise — go! Sell all you possess. Give it directly, personally to the poor. Take up My cross (their cross) and follow Me, going to the poor, being poor, being one with them, one with Me.

Little — be always little! Be simple, poor, childlike.

Preach the Gospel with your life — without compromise! Listen to the Spirit. He will lead you.

Do little things exceedingly well for love of Me.

Love... love... love, never counting the cost.

Go into the marketplace and stay with Me. Pray, fast. Pray always, fast.

Be hidden. Be a light to your neighbour’s feet. Go without fear into the depth of men’s hearts. I shall be with you.

Pray always. I will be your rest.

I think different parts of the mandate would stand out for different people in different walks of faith, however, for me the part that stood out most was do little things exceedingly well for love of Me.

As I sat on Monday evening, the words be still ringing through my mind, I had a realization. In this day in age, we are bombarded by noise and activity, by the value of always being busy. We are praised for multitasking, and completing todo lists, and moving always forward. At least I feel I am.

My realization was how I never give myself the chance to just be still. Not as an excuse to put my feet up, drink a coffee, and neglect my child and my household duties (not that I do not do this) - but to allow my heart to be still as I accomplish the things God has given me to do. 

Instead of feeling frenzied as I try to do everything all at once, failing of course as this is impossible, I have realized how beautiful it is to really focus, and to do my tasks exceedingly well. This way, I find myself much more capable of offering it up as a sacrifice out of love for Christ, and in the end, even if I find I have accomplished much less, I feel at peace.

I know not all of you are stay-at-home moms, so your busyness will look a lot different than mine. However, I think that we all need to add a little more stillness to our lives - even with a packed schedule. If we are more deliberate about being still, I believe God will bless us, multiplying our time so that we are never lacking.

The Catholic Church puts a lot of emphasis on being small, and doing everything with love. What does that really look like for us as Catholics? Today, for me, it looked like scrubbing a stubborn pan with patience, offering it up for my intentions. In a moment which would have had me irritated and frenzied a week ago, I found stillness and peace and, yes, God.

Be still and know that He is God.