Be Still...

It’s an interesting phrase.  We teach it to our children quite young.  When they are impatiently waiting for something children are often quite noisy and wiggly.  “Be still!” Mothers will proclaim in an attempt to quiet a child who needs patience.  As a grown up it’s a darn sight more difficult.  In our own journey, in our own life when do we know when to just be still?  The past year has been a trial.  There has been learning, there have been ups and downs but a trial just the same. 

As Alabama Sunshine attempted to purchase a new building that would allow us to triple our capacity we met road block after road block.  Now when you keep running into road blocks you begin to question yourself.  After a while this is very frustrating.  Now I was taught as a child to NEVER, I mean not ever to pray for patience.  You see, if you pray for patience you may be sent all manner of unpleasant lessons to help you learn it.  So I will admit at some point about June or July, a good 9 months into an attempted purchase of a building, to screaming “Did I accidentally pray for patience??? I mean REALLY?!?!”  The past few months have not been my finest moments.  I am tired, and I show it.  I know I show it, because everyone in Wal-Mart tells me.  “Honey you look plum worn out.” Thank you, random woman in the bread isle for removing all doubt that I am a mess.  So, at some point I decided to stop worrying about the building and the move.  I went about my day and just did the task in front of me.  People would ask if we had given up on moving….  “well, no but I can’t control a process that has nothing to do with me so I am not sure when that will happen”.

I was tired.  I had fought and struggled until I had nothing left.  So one night I promised I would just Be Still.  Now that was hard.  It was a point of surrender.  After a few weeks though, it was freeing.  I can’t say the exact time I felt the weight of the future lift off my shoulders but slowly it did. 

​I imagine I should have used this tactic in many others areas in my life before but it takes us a while to find our way sometimes.  We were fortunate enough to close on a new building 2 weeks ago and we have begun work!  It’s not in the time frame I wanted but I have learned I can’t control everything and I gained a great deal of peace by being still. 

I hope I can use this experience the next time I am encountering a situation that is literally bringing me to the edge of my sanity.  I also hope this speaks to you today. Whatever situation you may find yourself in today I hope you can find peace.  As we enter this holiday season remember to take time to just be still.
 
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth”~Psalm 46:10