Be Still, and Know that I am God

This morning as usual it was just like another Saturday morning, I was doing the laundry and household chores till Alvin called and asked if the children able to bring Ally dog down for grooming.

After we went to Puchong IOI Mall to buy some stationeries and groceries at Aeon Supermarket, we went to Alvin’s office to scan Issac’s drawing for the Family History Fireside poster.

As Alvin was sitting down at his office desk, I noticed the power point on the wall behind the other work desk behind him. It looks so familiar that the wall background itself was the same wall when he did the video call on last Wednesday night. He claimed that he was in the Client’s office that evening. It looks like he was lying to us.

My heart felt as it had sunken to the bottomless hole. I really felt hurt and disappointed. It looks indeed that my instinct is correct. How I wish I was wrong to have such instinct.

The first thing I did is to cry out to Heavenly Father in my heart. Then, I remembered the talk I read about – ‘Peace, Be Still’. There was actually another BYU Hawaii Speech that caught my eyes yesterday that has the same title ‘Peace, Be Still’ but different speaker.

For that instance, I said my prayer in the heart and thank God for what He was trying to prepare me and calm me, as He is telling me, “Peace, Be Still, and Know that I am God.”

Peace, Be Still

by Sister Alison Whiting

Sister Alison Whiting pointed out 4 essentials that helped her found to help her better hear the Savior’s words, “Peace, be still.”

1. Set Apart Time for Stillness in Our Life

“… The Savior sets the example of taking time to be alone and apart, to commune with His Father. He shows us that it’s important to seek stillness regularly, but especially in times of stress or where much is required of us…”

“So, I ask you, where is your place apart? So you take time to nourish your soul? Let’s each follow the example of our Savior and find a place or activity to be “apart.”

“Create spaces where you can see beyond your classes or callings or responsibilities and where you can hear the Spirit, because it is, after all, a STILL small voice. If you invest that time, you will find that you are stronger and better able to accomplish what is ahead of you.”

2. Get to Know Your Heavenly Father and Your Savior

“President Uchtdorf said: “Our relationship with God is most sacred and vital. We are His spirit children. He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure.”

“To strengthen our relationship with God, we need some meaningful time alone with Him. Quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend—these will be some wise investments of our time and efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Let us heed the invitation in Psalms: ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’”⁶ There it is again, Be, still.”

“Are we sometimes like Peter? We can’t see the Savior in the dark of a storm and so maybe we forget what we already know; that He’s already there? Peter jumped in, walked, fell, cried out and the Savior caught him. That sounds about right. If the Father and Savior are with us all the way, they will be with us through all of those steps. And, at least in my life, the Savior is patient with that. The Savior told Peter, “Oh thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” but I take that to be the Savior saying: I’m right here. You can trust me to stay.”

“…While it reminds me of this experience with Peter, it really more makes me think of all of us. How often do I feel “under the water” because I got scared, overwhelmed, hurt, tired or whatever? The Savior is reaching out His hand and saying, “Come.”

3. Hold On

“…Do you hear yourself in Joseph’s honest plea in Section 121? “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yeah thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people?”⁹

“And, with a heart full of understanding, the Lord answered back, in verse seven, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment.”¹⁰ Peace, he says, be still. In Section 122, the Lord continues by listing many, many more hard things that Joseph had yet to go through.”

Sister Whiting quoted Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s words in his October 2013 General Conference talk – ‘Like a Broken Vessel’.

“So how do you best respond when mental or emotional challenges confront you or those you love? Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: “That love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.”⁴

“Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well-being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead.⁵”

“Don’t assume you can fix everything, but fix what you can. If those are only small victories, be grateful for them and be patient. Dozens of times in the scriptures, the Lord commands someone to “stand still” or “be still”—and wait.⁶ Patiently enduring some things is part of our mortal education.”

4. Simplify

“We have to take the time to listen. We have to make the space to hear His voice. Do you have expectations of yourself that are not the same as the Lord’s expectations for you? Consider the circumstances of your life right now, set priorities and then go to the Lord for guidance and confirmation. It is important for us to get really clear about what the Lord’s expectation is for us, personally. You know, I find that when I’m worked up and worried about all that I have to do, more often than not, it’s the Lord who says, “Peace, be still. Seek the Lord’s will and see what you both can do to calm the storm.”

“An easy and powerful way to find simplicity is with gratitude. Usually, I start with the smallest, most basic things: that I’m breathing in and out, that I have running water, the gospel is in my life, my daughter is safe, my family loves me, I have food to eat. These lead on and on until I am filled with a greater understanding of how blessed I am and how the arms of my Heavenly Father and Savior are wrapped around me every day. I become less stressed as I see the simple that I take for granted that are already taken care of. So, in this time of Thanksgiving, I recommend that we make an extra effort to increase our gratitude.”

My heart indeed was not really comfortable and I think was unable to hide my unhappiness or moody face. I think Alvin had noticed about it later and he behaved as very tired the whole day and I noticed it every time when he came back from his so called ‘outstation trip’ always like this.

Eventually, both of us still have the Branch Family History Fireside Rehearsal on Zoom to attend with the rest of the EQ and RS Presidency. Thus, I just put aside what was on my heart and tried to concentrate this Church activity.

My heart is grateful for the promptings and the voice that I heard and calm the storm in my heart, and it is just like what Sister Alison Whiting said,

“It is hard sometimes to endure or see the reasons why the things that we want have to wait. But, that’s life. Joseph never got to set foot in the physical Zion in the West that he saw so clearly in his visions.”

“In the end, sometimes we wait and the Lord whispers through the storm, “Peace, be still.” Trust that the God who calms the storms of the sea, will also calm the storms in our hearts.”

“We must hold on for the Lord’s timing, recognizing that, although our situation may not change, He loves us and knows the end from the beginning of our story.”