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

Be still …

I don’t believe it happens very often, but sometimes the Lord forces stillness upon us. In June of 2004, we received word of our acceptance as missionaries with a major mission sending organization. We planned to serve in West Africa, and at the end of that July we went to Florida to attend new member training.

The two-week course was a frenzy of activity in its own right, but on top of that, I was struggling with the turmoil brought on by years of depression, coupled inharmoniously with the stress of impending life changes and the shock of my brother’s recent cancer diagnosis. I was drowning, and though I didn’t recognize it as such at the time, God threw me the life preserver I needed.

Be still. Since January, God had been orchestrating the circumstances with precision. Now, he was stopping us abruptly in our tracks. Be still. It was difficult, even humiliating at times, but the Lord was definitely working for our good. Be still. When the decision came that we would step down from active service, before we had ever even started, mind you, I really struggled with feelings of guilt. Frustrated, I began to argue with God:

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How can you do this?? You brought us here! Why did you bring us to this point only to stand in the intersection of our lives and blow the whistle?

Shhhhh …. Be still … and know that I am God.

But, what about the mission field? Now it’s going to take so much longer

… if we ever get there at all!

Don’t you worry about that. I will still be exalted in the nations.

Now is the time for your healing. Be still …

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Turns out, he didn’t need our help. We needed His.

And we are grateful that he loved us enough to force it upon us.

Be still ...