(Photo taken in September at Lake Logan near Canton, North Carolina.)

This is what my new friend told me this morning, as we were wrapping things up at our Morning Prayer & Coffee Fellowship.  Several weeks ago, I met this humble man by chance, in a Winn Dixie. Noticing his gentle spirit, I had said hello to him in passing, and moments later he circled back to the aisle where I was picking up supplies for outdoor worship.  He asked me to pray with him, which I did. Afterwards, I told him about our “church without walls” and invited him to check it out. He has been volunteering with us ever since.

He is always gentle and soft-spoken. And, every so often, he has a word for me – just when God knows I need it most.  “Be still,” he said this morning. “The Lord is making a way for you. You can trust him. You can lean on him. He will direct your path. Just be still. Be still in your spirit.” His words refreshed me as they washed over me.

I received that encouragement as a word from the Lord. As always, it was timely. I have been frustrated with myself for letting my contemplative prayer practice suffer, between a new puppy and an (as usual) “rich and varied” schedule. My friend affirmed that what I crave most is what I need most. I am grateful to have people in my life who will remind me that prayer matters.  Everything else can wait: the filing, the vacuuming, the rewriting and drafting of various documents, and on and on.

For now I will move “quiet and calm” to the top of the list of priorities.

For now, I will be content to be still.