by Kali Mackey
Lately, I’ve been realizing something…
God doesn’t always show up in big, life-stopping ways.
Sometimes it’s quiet.
Like a gentle little nudge… a soft, “hey you… slow down for a second.”
And if I’m being honest, my life right now is so loud it would be really easy to miss that.
I’ve got a teenager, a pre-teen, and my own little Donnie Thornberry of a toddler (tell me you’re a 90’s baby without telling me 😅), and it just… doesn’t stop. Schedules, rides, reminders, “did you grab that?” “wait—we forgot this.”
House stuff, mental lists, the constant loop in my head of everything that still needs to get done. You know… life just life-ing.
And then on top of that, I’ve been walking through some health stuff that’s honestly been really hard most days… while also getting ready for my husband's shoulder surgery and everything that’s going to come with that.
So naturally… I do what I always do—
I try to do more.
Stay ahead.
Handle it.
Keep everything moving.
But somewhere in all of that… I forget to actually slow down.
Not just physically, but in my heart.
To sit with Jesus.
To actually talk to Him instead of just running through everything in my head.
To thank Him, to pray over my kids, my home, my marriage, my body… instead of just carrying it all myself.
Because I know who He is.
I know He’s the one holding it all together.
But still… I rush.
And what I’m starting to notice is that God is so gentle in the way He pulls me back.
Not with guilt.
Not with pressure.
Just little reminders.
Mine came on the most normal, chaotic weekday.
We were in the car after school doing our usual “highs and lows,” and one of my kids started sharing something hard. Before I could jump in and try to fix it, they said—
“I went to the bathroom, took some deep breaths, and prayed to Jesus to help me.”
Just… simple like that.
They prayed for strength.
For patience.
For comfort.
And then went back to class.
And I just sat there for a second, because I could picture it so clearly.
And it hit me — That’s it.
That’s what it looks like.
Not a perfect quiet time.
Not everything calm and put together.
Just…
pause
breathe
pray
Right in the middle of real life.
We are reminded in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still, and know that I am God."
How often do we just push through instead of pausing?
How often do we carry everything instead of handing it over?
How often do we wait for the “right time” to pray instead of just doing it right then?
God doesn’t need perfect.
He just wants us. Right there in the middle of the mess, the noise, the busy.
So maybe this week… it’s not about doing more. Maybe it’s just about slowing down a little.
Noticing Him in the small moments.
Talking to Him right when things feel overwhelming instead of waiting.
Because He’s still right there in all of it.
Still steady.
Still holding everything together… even when it feels like a lot.
And sometimes… it’s the smallest, most ordinary moments that remind you of that.
Jesus,
You are just so good to us. You see how hard we try to hold it all together, and You meet us with so much tenderness right in the middle of our chaos.
We come to You today as women who are just weary. Our minds are spinning with busy schedules, family stress and limited strength to accomplish all we would like each day. We confess that our default is often to just do more, stay ahead, and carry the burden alone.
But today, we want to drop our hands. We hear Your whisper in Psalm 46:10, calling us to stop striving, let go of the control, and just remember that You are God. We don’t have to wait for the house to be quiet or for life to calm down to find You. You are right here in the mess.
Help us to just pause, breathe, and talk to You right in the middle of the noise. We surrender all of it to You.
Thank You for being the One who holds our entire world together so that we don't have to.
Amen.
I’m an author, a wife, and a mom of two, with the added joy of being a bonus mama to another. I’m a woman in recovery who found Jesus, and I share from my journey through motherhood, recovery, and faith. My heart is to point people back to the grace of God that meets us right in the middle of our stories. More than anything, I hope to remind others that no one is ever too far gone for restoration, and that God has a way of making us whole, refining us, and loving us exactly where we are.
My favorite verse right now is 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV):
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
It’s a reminder I come back to often—that God doesn’t need me to be perfect. He meets me in my weakness and carries me with grace.