BE STILL

In Psalms 46, the psalmist reminds us of God's sovereignty - meaning His supreme power and authority over all creation.  In 46:10 we are told that God says, "Be still and know that I am God..." this is a call to just sit and rest with Him and His promises.  This can be hard in the best of times, but so challenging in the worst.  Our country had a terrible and tragic thing happen, and it was right alongside a really hard situation in my own life.

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So here's my story about being still.  On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 I was 8 months pregnant with my first child.  That day, not only did our entire world change, but I had an incident where my body started to change.  Those of you who know me and have heard this story just smile and nod - not surprised by the circumstances.

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On the morning of September 11, 2001 I was replacing the inlet manifold gasket on our old Chevy Silverado.  Now, if you don't know what an inlet manifold is, on top of this particular V8 engine it was a large hunk of aluminum that sits over the cylinder heads and routes the air evenly into each cylinder.  It's pretty heavy and awkward for an 8-month pregnant woman of 5'6".  I will point out that my husband was at his university class about an hour away, and being well aware of my tenacity and skill in all things and was not surprised about any of this when I told him. 

Now, when you replace the gasket material, you have to carefully lift this large hunk of metal over two rods and gently slide it down to meet with the surface of the heads.  I'm pretty strong, so holding that weight in outstretched arms wasn't much of a struggle, but what was a challenge was my height.  I was a little too short to make it happen seamlessly.  When I looked around me, what did my eye spy?  A milk crate!  PERFECT!  about 14" of extra height, just the right amount!  This was a great idea!

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Until.

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As I was leaning over the engine on this milk crate, the laws of physics overrode my luck and the crate slipped -  causing my protruding belly to hit the side of the truck.

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Your anger or surprise at my predicament is valid.  I look back and just cringe at my youthful ideas and stubbornness, but I also look back and know that God loves me and He knows me and His hand held me and my unborn son.

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I immediately stopped my endeavor and went inside to rest and let my baby tell me he was ok.  In the mean time, my husband called me and told me to turn on the TV.  As our world changed before my eyes, my body began to change, too.  I think my son was ready to try the outside world since the inside world had gotten so bumpy.  The changes going on were pretty clear to me, but not enough for my doctor to be worried, and I continued on for a few days - anxious about what my body was doing, and anxious about the state of our world.  

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That week, I was asked to sing a special song at church - something to remind our church family that God is in control, and to rely on Him in this time where our entire country was reeling from 9-11.  I, too, was feeling almost constant worry because my baby was not due for over 6 weeks...and I recognized that my body was preparing for birth.  That Sunday, I sang, "Be Still and Know" by Stephen Curtis Chapman.  Part of the lyrics say:

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Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is holy
Be still, oh, restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of Peace
Let the noise and clamor cease

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that He has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still...

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My son was born 6 weeks early - he was in the NICU for 16 days (that's another long story...but my only advice is that if you can, have a strong advocate with you when you're in such a vulnerable position, mamas).  My boy came home healthy, happy, and grew into an amazing man who now serves our country, following in the footsteps of his father who joined the military soon after 9-11.

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That reminder from God's word has been a song that has come to mind many times over the year.  For those who are going through difficult, impossible, crazy, horrid, unimaginable times, I encourage you to Be Still and Know that He is God and rest.