Be Still and Know
It is the Monday morning after Easter Sunday, and I am curled up in the chair that sits in the corner of my office. Part of my time this morning is spent reflecting on the events of the weekend—what went well, what didn’t, what needs to be adjusted, etc.—because in the world of children’s ministry, Easter weekend is often a big one. But as I work, I look up and see the wooden sign I have hanging on my wall. It reads, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). And the impact of that message is felt.
Be still, and know that I am God.
I am sitting here allowing myself to become focused on all of the ministry goals that I had for the weekend rather than simply praising the presence of God. And that is Satan’s scheme. It is so easy as a minister—especially one who, like me, ends up being a little more Type A in nature—to get caught up in evaluating the quantifiable moments of ministry. But God isn’t about the quantifiable moments. God is purely about the moments.
I think back to yesterday when an amazing woman who is raising her grandkids told me about the struggles that are burdening her and then gave me a big hug and said, “But God’s got this. I know he does.”
I think about the mom who is in a recovery program but was able to join us for our Saturday activities. She walked around with the biggest smile on her face, because even though she has faced some pretty steep challenges lately, Saturday was simply about experiencing heartwarming moments with her child.
I think about the excitement on the face of a little girl as she joyfully skipped down the hallway proclaiming to everyone she passed, “He is risen! Did you know that?”
Be still, and know that I am God.
We know of the affective nature of God, and yet as those who work in churches, we sometimes fall into the trap of focusing solely on the effective. We want to see the results. We want to be able to speak to those results and champion those results rather than remember that faith is a direction, and in turn, we may only see a small part of each person’s journey, but we are undeniably blessed by the opportunity to witness and walk alongside each other in that journey together.
It comes down to this. Quite simply, Easter weekend wasn’t about the fullness of the building or the level of activity, but it was about the laughter, the love, the fellowship, and the relationships people were experiencing. It was about celebrating with each other in what the resurrection of Christ means.
Be still, and know that I am God.
God is present in every moment. God is our strength, our protector, our refuge. In him, we can completely trust. However, we must first “be still,” because in doing so, we are able to experience what it means to truly know that he is God.
As I sat on the couch yesterday evening holding one of my kids who had stayed home sick from all of the Easter Sunday activities, I listened to him sing his favorite Yancy song: “My God is strong. He’ll do anything big or small. Nothing is impossible for our super wonderful God.” And I now realize that what God was telling me right in that moment was to be still, and know.
