Be Still

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

Easier said than done, I know.

As I lay on my couch, laptop on my knees, tie dye shirt, sweatpants.. (visualizing yet? It's not cute), I'm listening to news report after news report of devastation, tragedy, corruption, greed, suffering. It can all be too much. So much so that I might have to turn on 'Family Guy' soon to get my mind off things. It's draining emotionally, and I'm sure it's not healthy. That hunk of bread I just ate with half a stick of butter isn't healthy either. What are ya gonna do?

I'm tired and I haven't moved in days. Tired of the constant blame from one political party to the other. The name calling, on both sides. The desire to shut down any opinion other than your own. What if.. and stay with me here.. what if we all stopped to think about someone else's point of view. It's radical, I know, but we need that empathy more than we've ever needed it before. We need to see someone else's perspective and come from a place of understanding. I'm guilty of this; I mock the other side, dismiss their outrage, stand guarded when presented with new ideas. And let's be clear, we don't all need to agree. But I would hope at this time in our lives, everyone around the world can agree on something. That we're all scared. And now, more than ever before, we need faith.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. I have this verse hanging in my house I love it so much. It reminds me to have faith and to be patient and that everything will fall into place as it is meant to. Am I scared right now? Absolutely. Do I need to remind myself of this verse throughout each day? Yup. If you can just remember to trust in God, we'll all be better on the other side. This will end. And we'll all be stronger for it. This verse actually comes from Moses parting the Red Sea. The Israelites were led by Moses through the guidance of God to escape enslavement from the Egyptians. Regretting their decision, the Pharaoh and the Egyptians chased after the Israelites to bring them back. Rude. With nowhere to go, the Israelites were pissed at Moses. But Moses trusted in God, and listened to Him, and he raised his staff like a bad ass and parted the sea. The Israelites moved forward and once they were safe, the sea collapsed onto the mean Egyptians. Beautiful, isn't it? Seriously though, to have so much faith in God that you're trusting a strip of land with a wall of water on each side of you, that's commitment.

So we can cry and argue and complain and worry, but know that if you have trust and patience, God will make it right. And we'll all be okay. We've made it this far. Getting upset will bring you nothing but anxiety and a stomach ache. But having faith, believing that things will get better, that can only empower you. Step back and see where someone else is coming from. Look at things from their perspective. You don't have to change your way of thinking, but at least try and say, "okay, I get it."

Keep Praying

xoxo

Tayla