Be Still

I was driving to work this morning after casting my vote. I am sooo happy it is almost over so the phone calls will stop and the tv ads will stop and so on and so forth. I am grateful for my drive in to work because I do some communicating with Heavenly Father during the drive. This morning as I was thinking about all the bashing, backstabbing, bullying and any number of other "B" words that could describe the campaigning, I thought about how I felt hostage to my environment. I could not answer my phone, turn on the tv, drive down the road, or read a newspaper without witnessing nastiness. I felt like a parent of a bunch of little whiny kids all with chocolate cake smeared on their faces pointing at each other and complaining because that person made them eat cake, or stole it and ate it, or caused one child to have a belly ache for encouraging them to eat the cake, or getting mad because they got caught eating the cake. None of them saying "wow, I had chocolate cake and it was good, thanks".

I wondered if that is how Heavenly Father feels all the time? There is so much going on that is negative that He must be bombarded with it. I don't want to be one of those children.

It reminded me of a time about 12 years ago when one of my children began to have health issues. The night we became aware of it was a frightening time because we did not know what was going on, if the child would live or die. I remember doing what I thought was praying. In fact, it was begging. I remember this begging went of for what seems like a long time but was probably only minutes (from the time it took to call 911 to right before the paramedics arrived). All of a sudden it dawned on my that I cannot hear my Father's voice because I am too busy trying to get an answer. I remembered that I am supposed to "be still". So I calmed my mind, ceased my begging, and stilled my emotions. What a sweet and wonderful thing when the answer came clear as a bell that all would be well and my child was not in mortal danger. How incredibly grateful I was for that knowledge and confirmation. It gave me the strength and knowledge to function as my child's advocate rather than an emotional mother.

So, it today's society when it seems you are bombarded with negativity and nastiness. Be Still. Allow yourself to feel and hear the Spirit. Take comfort. Be Still.