by Natalie Smith

Psalm 46:10
God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

This year I have made a commitment to being still. I have committed to a daily meditation practice that has already helped my mind to make better sense of the world around me. For me, the world can be an unbelievably chaotic, confusing, and overwhelming place, and my inner voice often screams, “RUN and HIDE, I can’t handle this!” That instinct translates into any number of numbing and tuning out scenarios I’ve created as coping mechanisms. But underneath it all, I have a deep desire to know myself and to know God. I know that it is normal and natural to build exterior versions of myself in an effort to more comfortably navigate my world, but I also know that every time I run and hide, I miss an opportunity to get closer to my inner truth and to God. So my commitment to being still is a commitment to sit in the possible discomfort of emotion, of pain, of the unknown, but beyond that place, I have experienced the immaculate beauty and peace that is God. This is how I am able to live in the world as it is for me. I can live it because I know that at the center of everything resides the unwavering love that is God. If I can see God in all things, I can move forward, undeterred on my way

Prayer: May I be still so that love, the truth of all beings, may become ever more present and obvious in my world.