Be Still

Surely everyone is familiar with the verse from Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God."  I've seen it printed on everything from hot pads to t-shirts.  Be still.  That's not the pace my life runs at.  It's not just that I don't have time to "Be still" it's that I don't think I remember how.

Why?  Why are we supposed to take the time to be still and know that He is God?  I mean, I'm living my life for Him already, right?  I am a living sacrifice.  I've surrendered my life to Him to be used as He sees fit.  I worship Him and lead others into worship as well.  So, why the need to be still?

Life is chaotic.  With two kids (soccer, school, etc), both parents working full time (or more), dedication to multiple roles in multiple ministries...yeah, life is just a little hectic.  It's easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life.  Sometimes it feels like I'm hanging on by a thread, like one more source of stress, irritation, or even resentment, will cause something to come crashing down.  It might cause everything to come crashing down.  

One verse earlier in the Bible, it says "He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth."  Psalm 46 starts with "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the hearth of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."    I believe wars are more common than just Iraq or Afghanistan.  Wars happen every day, between friends, co-workers, family members, spouses...any place there is a relationship between two people a war can break out.  Yet He can make wars cease.  He can eliminate the conflict in my life (and yours).  He also can be a refuge.  I like the sound of that.  I envision that as Jesus physically holding and comforting me during my trials.  All I have to do is turn to Him.

When we're caught in the middle of this storm of chaos and confusion, it can be difficult to hear God.  It can be difficult to trust Him to come through for us.  When I'm overwhelmed, I think about everything I should be doing and how I can get it done..more lists, more coffee, less sleep, get this done, get that done.  It's all up to me.  When I take time to be still, that is when I pray.  That is when my soul opens up to Him.  I see and know that He is more powerful than any stress in my life.  He can move mountains, He can deliver entire nations from annihilation.  It is in stillness and in prayer that I can open myself up and let go.  I see that the chaos in my life is insignificant when compared to His glory.  

In one famous passage of the old testament, God spoke in a whisper that followed a chaotic storm.  I urge you, listen for that whisper.  You may have to be still to hear it, so find a moment and carve out some peace.  Open up to Him, and listen.

Be still.  He is God.

Running the Race

I received an email this week from the trip coordinator with Living Water.  She sent me a list of open dates, which is exciting.  As the trip becomes more real, my feelings are different than I expected.  I anticipated anxiety and doubt.  Instead I'm filled with excitement, anticipation, and eagerness.  Even some degree of impatience.

These past few months have been an exercise in continually turning every aspect of my life over to Jesus.  All in all life has been better than I could have ever hoped for.  There have been challenges, and those are getting easier to let go of, to let Christ work.  I have found that this can be harder during the good times than in the bad, although letting go is almost never my first reaction in any situation.  It is only through this continual act of letting go that life seems to make sense.  As much as I want to control my life and as much as I want to take credit for the good things that come my way, I know that without my savior, none of this would come to pass.  Life wouldn't have the meaning it has now and nothing would be as sweet.

As the trip has grown closer and things start falling in to place, others are catching some of the excitement as well.  I have a lot of friends that would love to come with me.  Making a difference in the world in the name of Christ is something many of my friends are drawn to, and I consider myself blessed to be surround by people like this.  One of my brothers in Christ has committed to come with me, he is seeking financial help for the trip right now.  I'm so thrilled that I will have a companion on the trip to share in the experience.  I'm sure in a far away land it will be wonderful to have a familiar face nearby.

It looks like we'll be going sometime in February or March.  We haven't gotten together to finalize a date yet, but I hope to do that this week.  Then the countdown begins.

As always, if you'd like to help out there are two immediate ways:

1. Pray for us.  Pray that all obstacles are removed from our path.  Pray that our hearts stay focused on God and that every aspect of this trip be centered around Christ.  I truly treasure your prayers and I would be honored to be a part of them.
2. Financial support.  This is a mission trip and it isn't free.  Christy and I have made financial commitments that we will not break.  We're on a financial plan that has us paying down debt.  When I started the journey toward this trip, we agreed that all money that we put toward the trip would come from sources outside our budget.  We've had a garage sale, I've asked for cash to put toward the trip for every special occasion (birthday, father's day, even our anniversary).  Between the generosity of my friends and family and through our own diligence, I'm pretty close to my financial goals.  My friend still has a long way to go, and any donations would be appreciated for him.  As our "stretch" goal, if a lot of money suddenly comes in, I'd love to take Christy along as well.

That's the update for now.  School starts soon and I'm starting a new job too, so if my ramblings today are a bit chaotic I apologize.  I'm continuing to run the race, even when it's uphill and hot.  Thanks for coming along!