Editorial: Be Still

Editorial by Terry Forde

The end of the year has rightly earned the title “the holiday rush.” We are motivated by a strong desire to get everything just right, to get everything ready on time, and to get things completed as the year comes to an end. It is quite easy to get so wrapped up in all the activity that we lose sight of what’s most important about the holiday season to begin with.

And then we remember that one short verse: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Which is why spending time with your kids doing next to nothing still matters. It’s why catching up with an old friend on the phone for a few minutes is worth the time invested. It’s why the holiday cards that arrive via post or email are worth taking the time to read.

Being still definitely means spending time with the sacred scriptures, and closing your eyes to the world while opening your heart to God in quiet moments of prayer. It can be easier to be still while sitting in a church or synagogue – or in the quiet of the morning before the first news report or email or Facebook post.

And here’s the important thing about all of these things: regardless of what you are doing or not doing, there is something to be learned by a few seconds of stillness. New insights can be found in just about every moment, every activity. Amid the busiest time, in the most hectic moments, and especially when the pressure is on – we can choose at any moment to be still. To be quiet and settled and to focus on what matters most.

Easy to say; hard to do. But well worth the effort every time.

Terry Forde
President & CEO
Adventist HealthCare