Be Still

Years ago I went through a 28-day program for every form of addiction. My drugs of choice were work and seeking other people’s approval. My roommate’s addictions were alcohol and drugs. She struggled with the discipline of this recovery program. Wherever she went was chaos.

Near the end of the program, she burst into our dorm room, frustrated. She had not been able to do a successful third step, which is “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.” The way she put it was this, “They say I can’t leave until I find God.”

I was sitting on the little balcony off our room, gazing into the woods, listening to the birds, and wondering at the flowing stream. I didn’t know what to say to her, so I remained silent. There we sat, in silence.

After a bit, she straightened. “That’s it!” Then she turned to me and said, “Isn’t there something in the Bible about being still?” I said, “Be still, and know that I am God.” That was the aha moment that the directors of the program had been looking for in her.

I share this because our addictions are calling to us—our addictions to a bustling, frantic way of life. Our addiction to being with other people to distract us. Our addiction to work to give us a sense of worth. Our addiction to being able to have what we want when we want it.

These times are calling us to “Be still, and know that I am God.”