Book Club: Be Still: 30 devotions for those who feel anything but

This month I’m reading…

Be Still: 30 devotions for those who feel anything but By Lucy Rycroft (978-1800393974, BRF, published July)    

Be Still is an easy-to-use, thought-provoking 30-day devotional aimed at those who would view their lives as busy. Understanding that most of us have responsibilities we can’t lay down, and being super busy herself, Lucy unpacks why she now believes being still is a state of mind and something we can achieve whatever our circumstances. Each entry is broken down into a bitesize ‘stillness’, such as ‘Be still – you don’t need to do it all at once’, followed by some introductory text, a scripture reading and further reflections from Lucy, a prayer and then a ‘stillness idea’. She indicates readers should choose just two or three of the latter to focus on if using the devotional for 30 days straight. The ‘reflect’ section at the end of the entry provides a way of focusing on how the stillness idea has helped.

In conversation with Lucy Rycroft

When you started writing this devotional, somewhat ironically you entered one of the busiest times you’ve had work-wise. How did that both help and hinder the writing process?

It was a real challenge: I was working full-time, keeping my business afloat, parenting four tweens/teens and preparing to return to a career I’d barely touched in 15 years. Eventually I looked at the calendar, found a window of two days I could squeeze out of ‘normal’ life and asked my husband whether he could look after things at home while I booked a night away to focus on the book. I didn’t finish it, but did write a good chunk, which was the impetus I needed.

Fast-forward a month, and I was literally writing the last few sentences when I got a call to say my mum had had a fall. That led to a sleepless night in hospital, and a couple of weeks of caring for her while I tried to juggle work, writing and the school holidays!

This busy season helped me write authentically, as I was living and breathing the stuff I was writing about. I think people imagine authors to be locked up in their ivory towers, writing in a vacuum away from real life – two days away was as close as I got to that! For the most time, we are just trying to cram as much writing as we can into the margins of our work and caring responsibilities. As you read the book, you can be sure that every word is borne from genuine experience of busyness and overwhelm.

Your devotional is for busy people, but in one of the entries you say you don’t think busyness is the problem – but the motivation behind our busyness. What do you mean by that?

Treating our busyness as the problem will only ever scratch the surface of our issues. If we want God to truly shape our characters, then we need to allow to him to work deeper, renewing and transforming the root causes of that busyness. 

For example, as I was writing and reflecting on my own tendency to be busy, I realised that my motivation is often people-pleasing. I don’t want to let people down, and I want to be noticed. Someone else might be motivated by achievement, money or power, or they keep busy to distract themselves from dealing with a painful issue. Whatever the cause, it’s worth doing that work with God to heal the parts of us which create an unhealthy ‘busy’ mindset.

You talk about how our culture pushes us to our limits, and then charges us to go on holiday to recuperate, and yet God supplies simple daily gifts of rest and refreshment – how do we recognise these?

They are all around us, but we have to train our eyes to see and our lives to slow down, because we are being pumped entertainment in such a way that we need increasing amounts of action, drama, colour or special effects to give us that dopamine hit.

It takes intention to notice the simple gifts God is providing, for example, in nature. Even in the most urban environment, you can look up and see this incredible sky that points to our creator God. How about stopping to gaze at a tree, or a tiny ladybird on the pavement? Being with small kids often helps with this, as they notice (and are amazed by) everything!

Then it’s little incidences like someone being able to run an errand for you unexpectedly, or a friend offering to have your kids for a couple of hours, or a job you thought would take the whole day that took 30 minutes. Just to be able to recognise these as God’s daily mercies is a powerful step in learning to enjoy his rest.

You look at how Jesus redefines rest – that our souls can find rest even as we are working – how have you experienced that?

I’ve found the greatest way I can be still even in busy periods is by knowing God’s peace. It anchors me, knowing that whatever I’m busy with doesn’t affect my salvation, and that one day Jesus will return and restore everything to what it should be. This peace helps me not to worry so much about outcomes, but simply to do what I can with what I have been given for that day. 

Knowing God’s peace also helps me to physically chill out, listening to the body he’s given me and remembering to rest when needed. With this perspective, I recognise that I am finite, and that God is not – and this realisation truly lifts a burden. It helps me to turn to him when I’m overwhelmed, knowing that he can work miracles in my heart and in my calendar.

You have your own website, thehopefilledfamily.com, where you provide honest reflections on parenting and flag up resources. You have also written many children’s books yourself as well as other devotionals. What projects are you currently involved with, and what is next for you?

I’ve been working on this year’s ‘Summer Family Devo’ – a digital resource for families to get into the Bible in fun, low-stress ways over the summer holidays, which this year is free: thehopefilledfamily.newzenler.com/courses/summer-family-devo-2025

Last year, I had the privilege of being involved in The A-Z of Parenting for Faith, which is coming out in October. I hope this will be a really helpful dip-in guide for all Christian parents on a range of topics.

I’m also working on a book which will be out early next year, which will help tweens, and their parents, have Bible-based conversations on relevant issues.

Lucy Rycroft on: The books that have changed my life

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey

This got me thinking about a whole load of things, including why there aren’t more children’s books about women in the Bible. This led to my Mighty Girl, Mighty God series of books. 

The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry

This is such a thought-provoking parenting book. The author isn’t a Christian, but her approach is full of grace, accepting that we won’t always get it right as parents. I found it so refreshing in our culture of Insta-worthy parenting.

A Praying Life by Paul E Miller

I am a terrible pray-er. But I think even my shoddy prayer life improved because of this book! Several concepts have stayed with me, even though it must be nearly a decade since I read it.