Rise and Shine 22: JUST STAND STILL

Here we are, caught helplessly in the whirlpool of an epidemic of Biblical proportions — a pandemic named Covid-19.  I don’t know about you, but the reverberations of this coronavirus have rocked my world.  And definitely not in a good way.

I’m a psychotherapist in private practice who believes absolutely in what I do, or I wouldn’t do it.  Long ago, God called me to be a healing resource for His hurting children, and I answered yes.  He then added creating a global healing resource to His invitation.  If you’re reading this and thinking, “Wow! That’s a tall order for one regular, flawed human being”, I’m right there with you.  I continue to have days when I ask God, “are you sure you meant me, Sandy Breech?  Are you sure you weren’t thinking of another Sandy Breech?”  The answer is always the same.  “Yes”.  So, you can imagine the depth of  my concern when fighting the spread of  Covid-19 demanded a need for social distancing and closures of many schools and businesses.

People don’t come to see me for the fun of it.  They come to see me because they are in pain and can’t find a way to resolve whatever is creating the pain.  I need to be there, to be available as the healing resource God asked me to be.  How could I possibly find a good answer for being available…but at a distance?  In my line of work, that’s called an existential crisis.

Because Spring Break in my part of the world coincided with the growing wisdom of avoiding one another I chose to close my practice for one week as I desperately searched for answers to this question.  I felt torn and wondered if I was “doing harm” instead of “doing no harm”.    Mysteriously,  peace replaced stress.   Time slowed to become a friend rather than a foe.  I found myself going outside and simply sitting still to enjoy the birds and all of the other wonders of God’s creation.  How could this be possible when my world, our world seemed to be falling apart?

I found my answer as I read THE CIRCLE MAKER/DRAW THE CIRCLE by Mark Batterson.  He was writing of a devastating time in his life and the life of his church.  The circumstances were so shocking and demoralizing that they felt like an “anti-miracle”.   He had no idea what to do or where to go.  Then, to quote Reverend Batterson, “God gave me a promise to stand on, and I put every ounce of my weight on Exodus 14: 13-14:

Don’t be afraid.  Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.  The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.  The Lord himself will fight for you.  Just stay calm.”

God works in mysterious ways, and I seldom understand the complexity or timing of His plans.  Fortunately, I don’t have to; I only have to believe.  At this moment, for me, comes the answer I sought…and the peace that passes all understanding.