Be still.  Right now, for me, these are the two hardest words in the English language.  Broken down, they are not difficult to understand.  "Be" tells us something exists.  "Still" is a word that indicates lack of action.  The understood subject of that sentence is "you".  If you add up all the letters in these three words including the understood "you" there are only eleven of them.  Pretty simple, huh?  Until you start to put together the meaning of the sentence. 

To "be still" means absence of movement.  When little kids are being put down for naps we often think that we wish they would be still.  We know that if they would just stop moving they would end up asleep in no time flat.  Sleep is what they need.  They are much less grouchy.  They are easier to live with.  They grow when they sleep.  Their bodies, just like adults bodies, rejuvenate when they sleep, but being still is not sleep.  Being still means being awake and fully conscious of what is taking place around us without taking action.  When I think of stillness the word peacefulness comes to mind.  After all, there is a stillness in peace...a sort of quietness. 

Then, "Why," I ask myself, "is it so hard to do?"  Why is sitting still and doing nothing but being conscious of what is going on around us so difficult?  I would say it's because our nature is to fix things.  Our kids come to us with scrapes and we put a band-aid on it.  The dishwasher breaks, and we want it fixed if for no other reason than to make our lives easier.  We get sick and we go to the doctor in hopes that he can give us a pill that will make us feel better.  We are so inclined to do things that will "fix" the problems in our lives that often we don't know how to be still.  After all, the dishwasher isn't going to fix itself.  Our gallbladder won't heal itself. 

Ps. 46:10 tells us to, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."  Sometimes, however, when we force ourselves to be still we know God better.  The first nine verses of Psalm 46 remind us who God is.  He reminds us that, because of who God is, we don't need to fear.  We don't need to fear what will happen if we can't or don't "fix" things ourselves. 

Yes, there is a time to take action.  There is a time to go to the doctor or call the repairman, but there are times in our lives that God just wants us to be still, and it's not easy.  I was reminded of that this week when the surgeon drained all that fluid off my arm.  He then told me to not use my arm for two days.  I was good, I didn't really use it Tues. or Wed.  I kept my pillow tucked neatly under my arm in order to help me to keep from using it and help with the soreness.  The swelling stayed down.  The soreness improved.  Then Thursday I decided I was well enough to remove the pillow and get on with life.  I cleaned.  I sewed.  I swelled--ever so slightly, certainly not as much as before, but the pressure was back.  God was reminding me to "be still", to allow my body to heal.  It isn't easy.  I can't even say I enjoy sitting in front of my computer for days on end, or getting help with groceries, or not getting things done that in my mind need to be done, but hopefully when I have healed I will know God just a little better through the slowness of this time.