“Be still, then, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:11

Dear People of St. David’s,

I pray that you and yours are safe and well on these cold and snowy February days. I am sitting in the stillness of this current snowfall this morning, praying for those across the nation who are being severely impacted by these recent storms and thankful for a warm home and protection from the cold.

There’s a power in the stillness. We, who feel like we have to be busy all the time and accomplishing this and that, going here and there, sometimes miss that power. I know for me, I think that I am most effective when I am going as fast as I can, like someone running on one of those people movers in a large airport. I’m not and neither are you. Moving as fast as we can for as long as we can often means that we are going through life alone or at least disconnected from the source of life and the power that comes to us in the stillness.

I’m talking about God, of course, who says through the Psalmist that when we are still, we will know the presence, power, and guiding hand of God in our lives. Call it prayer. Call it meditation. Call it mindfulness. Call it entering into the stillness. Whatever we name it, that’s where we can experience the presence of God.

Sometimes it’s hard to seek that stillness. Some of us aren’t quite sure how to be still. Some of us aren’t quite sure what might happen if we really did come into the closer presence of God.

Well, relax. Fear not. Take a breath. I can assure you that the God who calls us to be still is the God who loves us and wants what’s best for our lives. I find that when I am still and waiting on God, two things happen. First, my life bubbles up. All the thoughts, concerns, and fears that are kept at bay by my running through life surface. As they come to mind, they become prayer and I lift them up to God. Second, after wading through the concerns and odd thoughts, a different train of thought comes to mind and that is thanksgiving. In the stillness with God, I realize all the gifts that make up my life and they, too, become a prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving.

As we enter into this season of Lent and continue to live through the many challenges of the pandemic, may I invite us all to find some time in each day to be still. Be still so that we can know God for who God is. Be still so we can know the God who will work with us through our challenges and lives. Be still and realize the gifts our lives truly are. For when we are still, we will know nothing less than the presence and power of God with us. There’s power in the stillness.

Grace and Peace and Love,