A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post called “What Would I Tell Her.” Part of it was about a motorcycle accident I had. While writing that post, I remembered an incident from the emergency room as I was waiting to go to X ray.
In the next curtain over, there was a woman who had been brought in, and she was completely hysterical. She was screaming, crying, and terrified. I remember distinctly the doctor saying, “If you don’t calm down, we can’t help you.” I couldn’t see her, but I could imagine her thrashing around and fighting the doctors and nurses, and them not being able to even look at her because she was so terrified. It probably took that poor girl twice as long to be treated as it normally would have. If only she’d been calmer, then they could have helped her, given her pain meds, and whatever she needed to be healed.
That became a great lesson for me. Listen, all of us have been afraid at one time or another. But even in the face of fear, we do better when we’re calm. When we take a breath, people can help us when we need it. We make better decisions, because we’re not flying off the handle or in such a tizzy about something that no one can even talk to us.
This reminds me of Psalm 46:10, a verse that should be very familiar: “Be still and know that I am God.” There is another translation of this verse that says, “Stop striving and know that I am God.” (NASB) And I saw one more that said, “Stop fighting and know ….” (CSB)
Remembering this incident in the emergency room, with this poor young woman who was so hysterical, and wouldn’t stop fighting. She wouldn’t be still, and therefore no one could help her.
How often do we fight? Against someone else, or even against ourselves? How often are we so busy, or fearful, or we’re just going 90 miles an hour that no one can help us?
We may know God can help us, but we’re not listening to God because we’re striving so hard with our plans that we don’t hear His plans. There is a time to be still, to stop fighting and make sure we’re hearing God’s voice. Make sure we’re listening. And make sure we’re making good decisions. Be calm. Be still. Let’s stop striving and know that God is there with us every single day.
Do you recall a time where being still (or not fighting) has helped you?
Let’s encourage one another.
Good story that provides good advice. I worked with an OB doctor who told his laboring mothers who were screaming that they were scaring themselves. Of course he had never actually birthed a baby☺️☺️
Hello Jean, it’s good to hear from you. As far as I’m concerned, mother in labor can scream all they want! 🙂 That’s a bit different than the hysteria I heard in the ER that day. It must have been something for me to remember it all these years later.
Thanks for stopping in. Stay well!