Reflection by Jeffery D. Whitfield
Sometimes in the busyness of my life, I can hear the words, “be still”. I don’t always like it when this happens for I am a person who wants, sometimes needs to be busy and don’t like it when my plans are foiled by others and, to be honest, not even by the Holy Spirit. Even as I write this, I am wrestling with what to do next, what to complete. But I am reminded to be still.
The reference to stillness I am speaking of comes from, Psalm 46:10 and as translated by the NIV version of the Bible as it reads, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The entirety of Psalm 46 references God's power, the ability to rely on His provision, His sovereignty over all things and rest in His ability to take care of things as He sees fit for it to be. As we are among uncertain times it may appear that God is not paying attention, but this is when He is most aware of our needs. It may be challenging right now at this time for us to rest in His presence as it is the safest place to be.
I am reminded of this when I recall how I made it through some of my most trying times, including being stationed in Iraq during OIF III. Then and now, I keep in mind that I am to be kind to others, as they are struggling as I may be. I have to utilize healthy coping skills- a bath, a walk, singing to myself to help keep myself intake but most importantly I remember to keep myself before God and be still. For it is in being still, I find my true rest.
Jeff Whitfield, 41, is a Substance Abuse Counselor. His faith is his everything and he learned this, in part, due to having grown up in the Baptist Church in the Chicagoland area. Currently he lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with his wife and child. His interests are genealogy, learning about different cultures/regions of the world and how we can learn from one another. A fun fact about him is that he does not like chocolate and mint together. Yuck