Be Still...

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog. It was not designed for ‘religious’ purposes, but because my faith and living a life of worship is an integral part of who I am, it will most definitely come up from time to time. For those of you following this blog who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, I hope that my words don’t offend you too much, but Jesus was (and still is) offensive to those who didn’t believe in Him, so I’m not too worried about it. I’d rather walk in His footsteps than worry about offending someone. Thank you for understanding!

It boggles the mind… Devastation can happen in the blink of an eye. It seems to come out of nowhere, but the reality is: God already knew. He knew millions of years ago.

We are thrown into a tailspin, but He ~ the One who created the universe ~ isn’t blinking. He didn't turn His head to talk to St. Peter for a moment, look back down here and say, "Whoa! How did that happen?" He tells us to be calm. He’s got it all under control.

We think: “How can He say that?? Doesn’t He realize that there are people dying… lives in chaos… earthquakes… tsunamis… terrorism... parents who can’t find their children during the aftermath?”

“PEACE, BE STILL.”

“But God, don’t You see the horrors of this world? Don’t You see the impoverished, the people who are lying, cheating, stealing, raping, abusing children, killing? Don’t You see?? How can You say that when You look upon the earth?”

“BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”

“Okay God, You created it all. I suppose when I create a universe and all that dwell within it, we can have a conversation about it. I’ll stop questioning… at least until the next time I have questions.”

How many of us get to the last paragraph? How long does it take us to get there? I learned at an early age that life isn’t what we envision as fair. My father was in a life-altering motorcycle accident when I was 8-years-old that changed the course of my white-picket-fence childhood. If you read long enough, you’ll eventually get the whole story.

Life isn’t fair. And here’s a bombshell for you… neither is God. You won’t find the word ‘fair’ to describe Him. He is ‘just’ ~ it isn’t the same thing.

So, while you watch the devastation going on around you and think to yourself – why? – remember that it isn’t for us to decipher. I know this is going to sound too simple to grasp, but as for me, I hold to the thought that one day I’ll meet God face to face and in that moment, without asking the question, the lightbulb will go on and I’ll think, “So that was why it happened!” or I simply won't care. It’s not for me to know in this lifetime. My responsibility is to be still in the moments of chaos. HE is God, and I am NOT (I am constantly having to repeat that... HE is God, and I am NOT... HE is God, and I am NOT...).

Since I am not God, what is my purpose? I am supposed to be a light to those in turmoil and darkness. If I’m running around screaming about the sky falling, how can I be a comfort to those who need it? If I'm wringing my hands trying to figure out the how and why of it all, what soul in need is going to come to me for help?

I don't believe that I have it all figured out and I certainly don't want to give the impression that I don't ask how and why every now and then. It is a process... of which I am constantly taking two steps forward and one step back, but I hope that someday someone is able to point to me and say that I helped her find the One who loves her through her chaos into a place of contentment in Christ.

Okay, so the last couple of blogs have been really heavy... I think tomorrow calls for a recipe or something lighthearted. What do you think??