"Be still and know..."

Today, I awakened to find the sun shining, hotly golden, in the blue, late May sky. The grass was green, and needing a trim, and the doves were having a gentle conversation in the trees. I dressed, and later, as I washed my face, the eyes staring back at me in the bathroom mirror held only peace, and a bit of mild curiosity about what the day would bring. I stepped out into the Texas heat, and climbed into my sister's car to join her for lunch and a bit of shopping.

My brother-in-law is supposed to go to Pennsylvania to do some work for his job, and he needed a new suitcase sturdy enough to carry everything, (along with his heavy work boots,) that he would need for two weeks away from home.

My sister and I found the much-needed suitcase, and had an enjoyable time together along the way; when you are with your sister, even taking a glass of iced tea out on the patio is fun! We then went on to the craft store, and I picked up some flags to place in the yard to commemorate Memorial Day. It was turning out to be a rather quiet, uneventful Saturday.

A few hours later, the stressful situation arose like one of the menacing hurricanes that seem to appear from nowhere out in the middle of the Gulf. The rain lashed, and the lightening flashed in my soul, and dark clouds of doubt scudded across my sky, as they always do, just when one needs their faith the most. And my heart cried out, over the sound of my storm: "God, where are You?"

It was evening, now, and I got in my car to take some medicine over to my grandmother, and I whispered, "please help me Lord, I need You." And I gripped the steering wheel and said aloud: "Please Jesus, fix these broken things! I need You!"

I turned the radio on to a Gospel station, and listened to the music, praying as I listened, and suddenly, that station cut out, and a different song from another Gospel station cut in, much stronger. "Come," the singer sang, and continued with something like: "Come unto Me. Lean upon My strength this night... Be still and know that I am God... Rest... I am the Lord..." And the Scripture echoed in my heart "Be still and know that I am God... Be still and know that I am God..."

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt His nearness, and I realized that He is totally in control of every situation over which we have no control, because He is God. And I relenquished and surrendered this thing that I have been trying to figure out and work out in my mind to Him. I am as helpless to change this situation as if both of my hands were literally tied with thick ropes behind my back. There is absolutely nothing I can do in my own power to change it. But He can. If I will get out of the way and trust Him to do it.

I will continue to pray and ask for His help, not only in changing the situation, but in changing me, as well. And He will answer, just as He always does, with love, and patience, and infinite wisdom. He has never failed me yet and He never will. And when I get stressed and manage to forget, as we human beings tend to do so easily, He will even take the time to remind me to: "Be still... and know... that I am God..."