Be Still and Know



One of the many temples we visited while were there

Three years ago, Mike and I had the opportunity to spend several weeks in Bengaluru, India. After nineteen hours in the air and two layovers, we landed at the Bengaluru Airport in the middle of the night. I immediately noticed the uncomfortable lack of personal space walking through the airport and standing in line at border control. Our airport experience was a precursor for our entire trip, and I quickly learned that personal space expectations were different in their culture. Think about exiting a football stadium after a sold-out game and magnify it ten times.

The crowd outside the cricket arena after the match had started
We purposely arrived late to avoid the bigger crowds

The markings on a divided road might indicate three lanes in each direction; however, road markings have no meaning there. Six, seven, even ten cars travel in those three lanes with mere inches between each vehicle. It is common to see motorcycles, Vespas, and other scooters shooting the gap between vehicles, often with three to five people packed on a single bike. What surprised me the most, I believe, was the noise. Car horns honked incessantly on our early morning drive from the airport to the hotel, and they continued all day and all night. We learned the people of Bengaluru use their horns for everything. You want to change lanes; honk your horn. You plan to stop; honk your horn. You plan to turn, honk your horn. You want to say hello; honk your horn. You get the picture. There seemed to be noise all the time, even lying in bed at night on the twenty-third floor with windows closed. I found myself often overloaded due to the lack of personal space, the crowding, and the noise. It seemed my only refuge was in the shower in our hotel room when all I heard and felt was the water.


The memory of our time in India resurfaced again this week as I walked out of the temple. I reflected on the stark contrast between my evening serving in the temple and our time in Bengaluru, and I realized we have just as much noise in our culture, even though it may look different. It is so easy to become overwhelmed and oversaturated with information, opinions, feelings, and obligations. One of my pandemic takeaways has been the need to protect my peace because it is in this space that I find God.

In February 2020, just weeks before the United States shut down, President Nelson extended two invitations. "... [T]hink deeply and often about [a] key question: How do you hear Him? … and ... take steps to hear Him better and more often" (26 February 2020 blog post, The Church of Jesus Christ (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/how-do-you-hearhim-a-special-invitation). The slowing down created by the pandemic allowed me to really focus on these invitations, and I am grateful for the sacred tutoring received. As gradually I began reintegrating back into the busyness of life, I noticed the feeling of being overwhelmed and oversaturated also returned from time to time.

Our Come Follow Me reading this past week focused on a time when the Saints also felt overwhelmed and oversaturated. These invitations from God extended to them seemed particularly applicable this week: "Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God" (D&C 101:16). Choosing to create the space needed to be still requires intention – to deliberately carve small spaces in each day to slip away from the noise of the world where our hearts can be comforted, and we can #HearHim. I had several impressions come to me in the temple this week for little ways to create more of these sacred pockets in my life. 

Where do you need Him to show up in your life right now? What can you do to create this stillness, so your heart can be comforted, and you can #HearHim?



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Utah Pioneers

Image
Many states in the United States have established their own state holidays. These holidays usually commemorate an important event or person that is significant to the state. Examples of such holidays are Mardi Gras in Louisiana, Cesar Chavez Day in California, Kamehameha Day in Hawaii, and Alaska Day in Alaska.  Utah’s state holiday, Pioneer Day, is celebrated every year on 24 July. It commemorates the arrival of the first group of Latter-day Saint settlers to the Salt Lake Valley on 24 July 1847. It is a time to celebrate all people who contributed to building the state, regardless of religion or background.  Oxford English Dictionary defines a pioneer as “one who goes before to prepare or open up the way for others to follow.” 1   For me, Pioneer Day is a time to remember the courage, sacrifice, devotion, and perseverance of those in my family who entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and beyond. On this Pioneer Day, I honor my own Utah pioneers - the firsts in each line...
Read more

An Elect Lady

Image
“Can I introduce you to my daughter,” he asked, taking me by the hand. A recent convert, this young African man felt unsure of his ability when he accepted the call to teach seminary in his branch. As the only person he knew who attended seminary, this man reached out to my son for help and guidance. Knowing I was also teaching seminary, my son encouraged his African friend to email me his questions. Thus, we began our year-long adventure teaching seminary together – him on the west coast of Africa and me on the east coast of the United States. We stopped at the school where he taught that day in late May. He asked his wife to come to the school during his lunch break to meet us as well. Handing me his daughter, he said, “This is Emma. Like Emma Smith.” He had not even known who Emma Smith was at the beginning of the seminary year but had grown to love her as he studied and taught the Doctrine and Covenants. “I want her to grow to have the faith and courage of Emma,” he continue...
Read more

Unity revisited

Image
  photo by Olisaknit, Etsy  (https://www.etsy.com : accessed 24 January 2022) I awoke with a heavy heart following events of the past couple of days, and this blog post I wrote last year came back to mind. Here we are nearly a year later, and it often feels like the divisiveness has only continued to escalate. So many I care about are feeling hurt and pain. Pondering on this, the words of a song came to mind this morning. It’s like a symphony Just keep listening And pretty soon you’ll start To figure out your part Everyone plays a piece And there are melodies In each one of us Oh, it’s glorious 1   Music speaks to my soul, and I love the symphony analogy used in this chorus. The word symphony derives from the Greek word symphonia, which means agreement or harmonious sound. 2 The whole point of a symphony is bringing various musicians and instruments together to create something beautiful. There are times when small solos enhance the piece, but generally, the best symph...
Read more