How to Get Off the Merry-go-Round

As children, many of us thoroughly enjoyed going on the Merry-go-Round at any amusement park. The horses were not quite as difficult to stay on as real ones! These were colorfully painted with long flowing manes and they rose up and down with rhythm and precision from the fun music constantly playing. The white stallions were the most beautiful and favorites of so many little girls.

In our grown-up worlds, sometimes the Merry-go-Round just needs to stop! We face interruptions daily as we try to get things done. Some days, we get absolutely nothing done by the time the clock strikes 5:00 p.m. and it's time to get dinner on the table. It's maddening! We need peace and quiet to even think past all the demands and distractions bombarding us. 

This suggestion may be difficult and take much practice, but relaxation experts often recommend finding a quiet place and try just being still in order to calm the heart and soul. Quiet and still. It's been proven that three slow, deep breaths in the nose and out the mouth to a count of four will actually reduce blood pressure. It really does work. 

Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6

We are all human. Women of many different ages, temperaments, styles, and professions. But God still gave each one of us free will and choices and, because of those gifts, there are times when we make mistakes and bad choices along the way. This freedom causes our worlds to get out of control, like a Merry-go-Round gone into a spin. Eventually it can be stopped if we choose to give it effort and time. Nothing says we have to drown in a pool of craziness!  

Developing a time each day to spend in quiet reflection and prayer is the best remedy. This habit will bring us to a point in our lives where we will automatically know where to go and what to do about all sorts of dilemmas and troubles that currently hold us in a state of panic and confusion. 

Many women choose mornings before the day begins. Some of us who are not quite "rise with the birds" kind of people find mid-morning just as effective. Just be sure to "unplug" all the electronic distractions. The important thing is not necessarily the time or the amount of time, it is the One who we spend it with. It's true that the Bible is God's way of speaking to us and prayer is how we speak to God. Just be sure it's a two-way conversation! 

"Be still, and know that I am God!. . .Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes" Psalm 46:10a; Psalm 37:7 NLT.