Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil. – Psalm 37:7-8 (NRSVUE)
The church phone system went down last week. By Wednesday we had a temporary work-around running, but for the first part of the week there was no way to call the church or for us in the office to retrieve any messages left. I believe we have caught up with everyone who left a message. The main question I was getting asked by people who were in the building last week was how things were in the office as we were waiting to get the phones figured out. My answer was that things were quiet – after all, there were no phone calls. What I did not add is that quiet does not always mean relaxed or still. Not knowing what messages may have been missed is difficult. There’s an underlying anxiety there of what might be lurking even while everything is quiet.
I wonder how much of the time all of us have that underlying anxiety. When there is so much that needs done, even the quiet times can feel like there is something more waiting for us. It is difficult to stop and be in a moment if the quiet is simply an opening to the hidden anxieties under the surface, worrying about what might be lurking ahead.
So many of the Psalms remind us to stop and wait for God. It does not come easily. Stopping, waiting, and listening require not just being quiet but also putting aside the anxieties that well up. It means setting aside whether we have done enough, checked every box, and are ready for whatever might be lurking. All of those concerns need to be put aside to quiet our minds enough to be ready to sit with God. We have a little bit of time left in Lent. Even if you have not been following any Lenten fasts, practices, or devotions, there is still some time. The goal behind fasts and devotional times is to let go of something so that it becomes easier to be still and wait for the Lord – not simply being quiet but letting the underlying anxieties out so that the quiet can become stillness.