BE STILL

Be still, and know that I am God!

— Psalm 46:10

There's a stretch of land between Texas and North Dakota nicknamed "Tornado Alley." The people who live there know the fierce destruction that tornadoes can cause and make provisions accordingly — hiding in basements and storm cellars, even wearing bike helmets. When the meteorologists get nervous and the sirens start to blare, the residents of Tornado Alley take cover!

Tornadoes can rip apart cars, houses, and schools. But at the center of a cyclone's vortex of dust, litter, hail — and sometimes even cows! — it's a different story. Although the outer winds of a tornado can reach up to three hundred miles per hour, the eye of the storm is mostly still.

Sometimes our lives can feel like a twister, spinning out of control. We are faced with conflict, mishaps, and heartache. We race to keep up with other people's expectations. We try to make everyone happy. The harder we try to control life's whirlwind, the more exhausted we become.

But God tells us to be still and know that He is God. He is in control, not us. If we put God at the center of our lives, then — no matter how much chaos is swirling around us — we will have stillness and peace.