Be Still with God

By Nancy B. Gibbs

My grown children were coming home for the weekend.  I cleaned house and prepared for a barbeque supper. I wanted everything to be perfect.
Suddenly, I realized I was tired. “I’ve got to rest for a minute,” I told my husband, Roy.  I collapsed into my favorite rocking chair.  Music was playing, my dog and cat were chasing each other, and the telephone rang. 

A scripture from Psalms popped into my mind. “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10.   I hadn’t spent much time in prayer that day.  Was I too busy to even utter a word of thanks to God? Suddenly, the thought of my patio came to mind. The flowers were breathtaking. It was definitely a heavenly place of rest and tranquility.

“If I can’t be still with God in that environment, I can’t be still with Him anywhere, I thought. I slipped out the backdoor and sat down on my favorite patio chair.

I began to pray, while counting my blessings.  A bird flew by, chirping and singing. It interrupted my thoughts. It landed on the birdfeeder. After a few minutes it flew away, singing another song.

I closed my eyes again.  A gust of wind blew, causing my wind chimes to dance. They made a joyful sound, but again I lost my concentration on God. The wind died down. My wind chimes became quiet.

I bowed again in prayer.  “Honk, honk.”  A neighbor drove down the street.  He waved and smiled.  I waved back. I quickly tried, once again, to settle down, repeating the familiar verse in my mind. “Be still and know that I am God.”

“I’m trying God.  I really am.” I whispered.  “But you’ve got to help me here.”

The backdoor opened.  My husband walked outside.  “I love you,” Roy said.  “I was wondering where you were.”  He came over and kissed me.

“Where’s the quiet time?” I asked God. “This is impossible. There’s no time to be still and to know that God is near.  There’s too much going on in the world.”

Then it suddenly dawned on me.  God was speaking to me the entire time that I was attempting to be still.  “Thank you for the joy of music,” I remembered saying.  He sent a sparrow to lighten my life with song. “Thank you for the comfortable world you created for me, Lord.”  He sent a gentle breeze.   “Thank you for my friends.”   He sent a neighbor. “And thank you for my family, God.” He sent my husband to offer sentiments of love.  While I was counting my blessings, God was busy multiplying them. God had been with me the entire time I was trying to be still with Him.

Nancy B. Gibbs writes from Cordele, Georgia. Nancybgibbs@aol.com