I sat by the window gazing at the meadows,
My mind was buzzing with thoughts, and all I wanted was to ‘be still’,
An overcast, an echo of a thunder from far away,
“Take the clothes; it is going to rain,” my grandma shouted,
Unwilling to shift my gaze, I stayed put in my spot,
But my cousin raced with the first raindrop,
A smile of pride as she stepped in with the dried clothes,
“Good job” my grandma said to her, and as for me, a contemptuous stare,
But before I could justify my behaviour,
Whoosh! I got a whiff of the petrichor,
And I felt the wind whispering “be still”,
So, I did just that and continued watching the changing sky,
Pitter-patter, the raindrops choir had started the show,
Tenor, alto, soprano–some even hit the lowest low,
The buzz in my head fizzled down in the drizzled harmony,
That evening, I said a short prayer thanking God for the calming rain,
And in the background played, Mary Ann Baker’s Peace be still
Footnotes
Lately, I have been learning how to be still but it has not been going too well. I had a challenging couple of weeks and there were times when I could not think right. I remember not being able to read the Google map directions properly because I was worried sick that I was late for an important meeting. I love how God has strategically planted my husband in my life. Even during the moments of panic, he is as cool as a cucumber. Time and again, he has told me to not fret so much about things. However, recently he has been emphasizing on staying calm, not by my own strength but with the help of God.
We usually have an hour-long drive to church every Sunday and it is during this time that we have discussions on Bible, faith and world news. Last week we talked about the looming recession, the ongoing inflation and the changes that are likely to come into place. I naively asked him, “Will there be jobs?” And I was surprised by his answer, “Yes, God holds our jobs; it is not in the hands of man!”
What a faith-packed answer, I thought. I was reminded of the verse from Isaiah 54:17
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.”
Recession or not, we stand by faith and not by sight: this is the truth that we need to speak. It might be hard to completely grasp the essence of the verse or the aforementioned statement. This can happen only when we fellowship with God closely and know Him more. When we have knowledge of who He is and who we are to Him and in Him, we fret not for we know He will take care of everything.
As we drove back, there was a light rain. It announced the changing seasons in the UAE. From hot and humid summer to pleasant winter, we are so ready for a new season, both metaphorically and literally. But for now, we stay still and await the change.