Stillness

 September 21, 2021

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” So St. Paul remembers the words of Jesus in Acts 20:35. I’ve been on both ends and can testify to the truthfulness of these words. Today I had the double blessing of giving twice. I can’t say more without exposing the grief of a good friend to public view, but over the years, I’ve stepped on more holy ground than you can imagine. 

We Americans like to think we can solve problems wherever and whatever they may be. We’re beginning to learn the fallacy of that mindset; there are issues of life we cannot fix, much as we try, but in our frantic efforts to do so, we often miss experiencing the presence of the One who bids us “be still and know that I am God.” Oftentimes, my busy-ness prevents me from knowing God, for my activity is the antithesis of stillness. I’m not sure that slowing down and just sitting with a friend was a God-experience for him, but it certainly is for me, and for that holy privilege I am grateful tonight.