Pat Mingarelli
[Originally published as Be Still and Know]
A Rough Day
Sometimes God whispers “Be Still.”
Regrettably, my workday ended in a “not so good” way. I messed up and let time slip away. One look at the clock told me I was now behind in preparing for an evening meeting with a client. With time slipping away I struggled to get all the remaining paperwork together. At the same time, I continued to blame myself for not planning well.
With an angry heart I got into my car and phoned the client to let him know I would be late. I spoke professionally and explained to him the situation. Unfortunately, he thought it would be better if we could meet on another day. We postponed our meeting.
A Hard Ride
Upset, I pulled the car back into the garage and headed up the stairs. I told my wife I needed to go for a bike ride. After a change of clothes, I got on my bike, and headed toward the bike trail near our home.
With a need to purge anger I pedaled hard into the wind along the lonely creek side trail. Not long into the ride the humid air brought sweat down my face as I raced through the farmlands of eastern Nebraska.
After a bit of tough riding, the semi-broken clouds revealed a red sun about to set. That signaled to me—time to turn around. Unfortunately, the wind that gave me so much resistance on the way out had dissipated in the settling evening air. Without a tail wind, anger provided fuel for the push home.
Be Still
Suddenly, like a breath of fresh air, a few deer emerged from a cornfield that bordered the trail and my rush of angry energy left me.
For God knew what it would take to slow me down. Little glimpses of His creation can do that. It is His way of saying to me,
“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).
Through nature, God showed me that He is the Grand Creator who has everything under control.
Whether I peddle or walk along that bike path, various animals will sometimes emerge from the cornfields or woods that border it. Everything from great blue herons, meadow larks, weasels, rabbits, bald eagles, and even skunks make an appearance from time to time. Although I am usually not angry when I ride, the effect is still the same. I feel my Creator is near, reciting to my heart Psalm 46:10.
It is good to know that God is in control. When things go wrong in our lives or don’t go as planned or we just simply mess up, it’s good to remember that He is still in control. Trust Him.
Inspiring writing! Yes, we can find peace in looking at creation and see that God has moved and sustained order for six-thousand years. Until that day when he rolls up the heavens like a scroll (Isaiah 34:4, Revelation 6:14) all things will continue, and God is still in control, no matter how bleak things look, or how stressful our lives become. We continue to work while it is still day (John 9:4), but God has also given us a beautiful world and a Sabbath rest to enjoy what He has made for us. William
Thanks William!
We do need our Sabbath rest. God told us to rest and in Him we find rest. We experience so much stress, rest is to be welcomed and cherished.