"Be Still and Know That I Am God"

(Completely random thoughts - no editing whatsoever.  I apologize if it seems scrambled.)

     "Be still and know that I am God." That’s the phrase that went through my mind this morning when I woke up to my third day of the room spinning. Vertigo. That’s what the doctor had said. I believe it was God’s way of making me be still because I didn’t listen the first time he told me. I thought I was doing pretty good at keeping my stress level down. My mind was beginning to clear. I wasn’t letting things pile up. I seemed to be getting things done without having to rush. I even spent some time just sitting on the front porch, drinking my coffee, then taking the kids to the pool for a while. I thought that’s what He wanted. For me to settle my brain and clear my thinking. Surely He didn’t mean for me to literally be still. There are things to be done. I thought He was clearing my thoughts so I could accomplish them better.
     "Be still and know that I am God." I wasn’t sure if that was actual scripture from the Bible or just something I’ve heard said so many times it seems like gospel. So I looked it up. Sure enough, right there in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." And whaddaya know! The command to be "still" is in the scripture several other places! Like Exodus 14:13, "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day..." And Numbers 9:8, "And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you." Ruth 3:18 says, "Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall..." And of course there’s Job 37:14, "Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God." There are even scriptures that tell of the earth, the sun and the moon standing still. And Matthew and Mark tell us that "Jesus stood still." All these people had to be still to hear, know, consider and see what God had for them to do. Why should I be any different?
     So then I decided I would look up the word "still" and get a more clear definition. Dictionary.com says this, "(1) remaining in place or at rest; motionless... (2) free from sound or noise... (4) free from turbulence or commotion; peaceful; tranquil; calm... (5) without waves or perceptible current."  Hmm...motionless... without motion. With vertigo, that’s not a problem. If I move, I go one way and the room goes another. Free from sound or noise...turbulence or commotion. This one is a little harder. There are certain things around me that I have no control over - the phone ringing, people talking. Without waves or perceptible current. Have you ever noticed still water? Where there are absolutely no waves visible? Very often it shows a reflection of the sky and nearby surroundings. It can be quite beautiful.
     So...let’s review. When God told me to "be still," he wasn’t just talking about my mind, my inner thoughts. Could it be he meant for me to physically not move. How is that even possible?! I don’t understand!! As I lay in bed with the furniture, walls and ceiling swirling around me, I tried to focus on one central object. Maybe if I can just get my eyes fixed on a certain spot, everything else will fall back into place. But I couldn’t do it. My eyes would not fix on that one spot. They kept floating around, rolling and swirling with everything else. That made me feel worse, so I just closed them. All I could do was pray, "Lord make this go away."
     "Be still and know that I am God." When everything seems to be careening out of control, I am to be completely still, no moving, no thinking, no trying to focus on what I think I need to be focusing on. Just close my eyes and let God have full control. That’s the only way my world will stop spinning.