Be Still

We had a really great talk this past Sunday in Sacrament Meeting - it was on revelation/listening to the spirit. One of the things he spoke about was "being still." This has kinda stuck with me all week (probably because I am not so great at "being still"). I have tried to make an effort to take time to have silence and calm myself. Well . . . NOT an easy thing for me. If you know me I am an anxious-I-need-to-know-everything-kind of person. I need to have plans. I need to make the most of my time. I need to have things in order . . . and then I can have time to "be still." Yeah, well, that's not working so well. I decided last night that I needed some time to "be still." Just before I went to bed last night, I sat alone in my room. Jason was busy studying, and I knew I had a few moments to sit alone and think - think about all of the things in my life. The good and the difficult. I found that with silence and a relaxed mind I felt so much gratitude. I felt grateful for how much I have been blessed - even when I felt like my pains had been unbearable and I realized the miracles in my life, even if they were different than the ones I have initially asked for.

And then I thought about this story . . . Jairus and his daughter. I am sure that many of you know the story. I don't want to get all preachy, but it reminded me of how much I need to be still and depend on the Savior. In this story Jairus has asked Jesus to come heal his (only) daughter who is dying. Jesus agrees and as they try to make their way through the throngs of people Jesus stops to preach and heal others. Jairus is getting frustrated and then turns to the Savior and essentially says, "Why are you stopping? My daughter is dying!" To which a ruler of a synagogue informs him, "She's already dead." I can only imagine Jairus' thoughts, his anxieties and grief. He must have imagined that if they were able to get there quicker the Savior could have healed his daughter before she died. But, the Savior says to Jairus, "Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole." The Savior was telling Jairus to be still. He was telling him to not be fearful or anxious. He was telling him to have faith that all would be made right. I just love this picture. I think it tells the story in a single scene. Jairus and his wife are grief stricken - as one would be if they lost a child. Christ then lets them weep before he raises her. In this picture the Savior is standing at the door entrance of their home. To me, His presence in the doorway is symbolic of the fact that He is willing to lift our burdens if we let Him in. If we ask for him. And when we ask for Him, he will still our fears, grief, pain and worry. We just have to be still and let Him in.

This post kinda sounds preachy . . . I know. But I felt like I had to write this one down before I forgot it. :)