Be Still.

 

Sometimes we just need to Be Still.  When the waves are surrounding us, and the storm is upon us.  We just need to Be Still and hear His voice.  Stop trying to Fix it ourselves.  Just Be Still.

I was lying in bed one evening praying and petitioning God to fix something.  In my mind it was a huge dilemma and needed immediate attention, so I was asking God to intervene, immediately.

Let me be honest here. I was giving God my thoughts on how I could fix it.  I had a running list in my head and I kept adding new things to that list.  “What about this God?” and “What if I did That instead?”  “What do You think?”

Then I heard – Be Still.

So, I did.

Then a picture of the Sistine Chapel came to my mind.

 

And then Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam.

 

Wow Lord those are awesome and beyond my comprehension.  I can’t imagine painting something so beautiful.  I don’t have that kind of talent.  Michelangelo is one of the great artists in our history.

That’s when God spoke quietly to me.  Those ‘great’ masterpieces?  They are like your child’s artwork from school to Me.

He then reminded me how He breathed life into Adam.

How He breathed life into dry bones.

How He created EVERYTHING I see around me - from nothing.

The Sistine Chapel paled in comparison.

What took Michelangelo four years to create is beautiful, but nothing compared to what God created in 6 days.  God’s creation is a Masterpiece.

Why do I constantly compare what I see to what God can do?  He can do so much more than my finite mind can imagine.  If He can wipe out the earth with a storm and recreate it after a rainbow, why am I surprised when He does a miracle in my life?  Am I too small for God to notice?

Are you?

No, you are not.

I bring my ‘artwork’ to God and say, ‘See what I made?’  I am sure He smiles like we do at our children. Then He takes it and makes it into a masterpiece.  We just need to let it go and let Him do the work.

We need to Be Still.

After spending that moment with my Father I fell into a deep sleep and let it go.  I haven’t slept that good in a long time.  I let it go.  For that night.  I am human and I will pick it back up again.  I will have to let it go again after His quiet reminder.  It is my daily lesson.  It is why I have those two words tattooed on my wrist to remind me every day.

I need to Be Still.

He is Bigger.  His timing is Better.

 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalms 46:10 NIV

 

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

Exodus 14:14 NIV

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they

may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all

the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God

created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and

female he created them.

Genesis 1:26-27 

I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord .’ ”

Ezekiel 37:6 NIV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

For more about Michelangelo's Creation of Adam & the Sistine Chapel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Adam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel_ceiling

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This man You gave me...

 

I was washing my face before bed last night and realized the water was a bit cooler than normal.  I mentioned it to my husband, and he immediately took action.   He went downstairs to check out the boiler.  Within minutes he returned with a diagnosis and said he would replace the parts in the morning.

The next morning, we had hot water again.  No fuss, no muss.  Just done. 

Neither one of us thought about the skills it took to do that one action.  Except this morning as I sat with my coffee and pondered the previous events.  What a blessing it was to have a husband who has the incredible skillset that God gave him.

My husband and I renewed our vows this year.  We were blessed to share the moment with friends and family. The day was beautiful, and my husband looked extremely dapper in his suit and snakeskin boots.  Can I say dapper?  Is that word too old school? 

I mean honestly, look at this man.  He is quite dapper 😊

 

Either way, I was in love all over again as I walked toward him for our pictures before the event.  He was turned away from me for effect. 

That is what the photographers wanted us to do.  Personally, I just wanted to run to him, turn him around, and just kiss him.  Instead, I went with the more delicate approach and walked gently in my heels towards Carl until I was right behind him.

As I was walking towards him - my mind started to focus on all the things we had been through during our 13 years together and how God has knit us together as a couple.

Honestly, I never thought I would marry again after going through failed marriages.  I never thought I would be this happy.  I never thought I would see our lives where they are today. 

But God…

Together 13 years…

Married 10 years…

Involved, again, in United Marriage Encounter teaching other couples communication skills…

(This one is God’s sense of humor because we are often the poster children of what not to do.  He uses us in this ministry, so HE receives ALL the credit!)

Leaving everything behind and joining my husband in his business…

Involved with our church together as a team…

Working together in our business for over 6 years…

Are all moments great ones?  No, we are human.  We have days where there are misunderstandings and tears.  We have different personalities and different skills and thoughts.  Sometimes they blend nicely and other times… well we are both very headstrong... 😊

 

His skillset and gifts are so diverse yet so different from mine.  God gave me this man to complement me and my gifts.  God knew we needed each other for companionship and also to reach everyone together for Him.

We are a force – Together.

 As I walked hand in hand with Carl towards our pastor that day my mind wandered a bit.  We are getting older.  How many more moments will we have together on this earth?  We are not guaranteed a certain number of days.  I need to cherish each moment, each day as if it was my last one here with him.

It makes the difficult days and cold-water events easier to overcome.  Remembering moments like this. 

We get so caught up in our daily activities that we sometimes forget to enjoy the moments.  Relish the moments before they are only memories…

Write them down.  Hold them close to your heart.

Together…

 

Learn more about United Marriage Encounter here… www.umewny.com

 

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you! Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you ; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you!

Song of Songs 1:2-4

 

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

Ephesians 5:31

 

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

                                                   Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.