Mind Muddle

 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:39

 

 

I admit it.  Over the last several weeks, my mind has been so filled with detritus that I have felt oddly befuddled at times.  There are many mornings when I simply have to confess to God that I don't know what to say because there's so much in my mind that I have trouble focusing.  I try to write out my prayer lists over and over, and they become just a huge jumble.  So I simply sit on the sofa and ask God to help me pray through all the internal noise.  Of course, Woody tries to be helpful by rolling over and wanting his belly rubbed.

 

Something I have noticed, you can't force prayer!  I've tried, and because I was the one trying to force the conversation, I did all the talking and none of the listening and when I was through I went on about my day without so much as a "Thanks for listening to me gripe."  And you can imagine how the day went after that.

 

When we have so much internal noise that we cannot even think straight, it's time for us to be still and confess to God that we have too many distractions.  Remember the storm where the Disciples were convinced they were all going to die?  The storm was so distracting that they forgot to consider Jesus.  Where was Jesus?  Peacefully asleep in the boat.  The Disciples panicked and woke Jesus up and asked Him if He even cared that they might die.  What did Jesus do?  The same thing He does to my over cluttered mind, He commanded "Peace! Be Still!" And my mind began to unload all of its concerns, burdens, doubts, confessions, weariness, worries, anxieties.....everything!  And then I heard these words, "My child, I love you!"

 

Peace! Be Still!