All day long I had been very busy; picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms and scrubbing floors. My grown children were coming home for the weekend. I went grocery shopping and prepared for a barbecue supper, complete with ribs and chicken. I wanted everything to be perfect.
Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was dog-tired. I simply couldn't work as long as I could when I was younger. "I've got to rest for a minute," I told my husband, Roy, as I collapsed into my favorite rocking chair. Music was playing, my dog and cat were chasing each other and the telephone rang.
A scripture from Psalm 46 popped into my mind. "Be still, and know that I am God." I realized that I hadn't spent much time in prayer that day. Was I too busy to even utter a simple word of thanks to God? Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there, I thought. I longed for a few minutes alone with God.
Roy and I had invested a great deal of time and work in the patio that spring. The flowers and hanging baskets were breathtaking. It was definitely a heavenly place of rest and tranquility. If I can't be still with God in that environment, I can't be still with Him anywhere, I thought. While Roy was talking on the telephone, I slipped out the backdoor and sat down on my favorite patio chair. I closed my eyes and began to pray, counting my many blessings.
A bird flew by me, chirping and singing. It interrupted my thoughts. It landed on the bird feeder and began eating dinner as I watched. After a few minutes it flew away, singing another song.
I closed my eyes again. A gust of wind blew, which caused my wind chimes to dance. They made a joyful sound, but again I lost my concentration on God. I squirmed and wiggled in my chair. I looked up toward the blue sky and saw the clouds moving slowly toward the horizon. The wind died down. My wind chimes finally became quiet.
Again, I bowed in prayer. "Honk, honk," I heard. I almost jumped out of my skin. A neighbor was driving down the street. He waved at me and smiled. I waved back, happy that he cared. I quickly tried once again to settle down, repeating the familiar verse in my mind. Be still and know that I am God.
"I'm trying God. I really am," I whispered. "But you've got to help me here."
The backdoor opened. My husband walked outside. "I love you," he said. "I was wondering where you were." I chuckled, as he came over and kissed me, then turned around and went back inside.
"Where's the quiet time?" I asked God. My heart fluttered. There was no pain, only a beat that interrupted me yet again. This is impossible, I thought. There's no time to be still and to know that God is with me. There's too much going on in the world and entirely too much activity all around me.
Then it suddenly dawned on me. God was speaking to me the entire time I was attempting to be still. I remembered the music playing as I'd begun my quiet time. He sent a sparrow to lighten my life with song. He sent a gentle breeze. He sent a neighbor to let me know that I had a friend. He sent my sweetheart to offer sincere sentiments of love. He caused my heart to flutter to remind me of life. While I was trying to count my blessings, God was busy multiplying them.
I laughed to realize that the "interruptions" of my quiet time with God were special blessings He'd sent to show me He was with me the entire time.
译文:
保持内心宁静，与上帝同行
一天到晚我总是忙个不停，不是收拾杂物，就是清理浴室，再不就是拖洗地板。孩子们已长大成人，周末回家，我还要去趟美食杂货店，准备一顿烤肉晚宴以及一些排骨、鸡肉什么的。我是一个事事追求完美的人。
可忽然有一天，我感觉自己实在累的不行了。与前两年相比，能坚持工作的时间已然缩短。“我要休息一会，”我一边说着，一边瘫倒进我那张心爱的摇椅里。此时，播放的音乐我已充耳不闻，嬉戏的猫狗我也已熟视无睹，就连别人打来的电话我也置若罔闻了。
第46首圣歌中的一段经文忽然浮现在我的脑海：“要保持内心宁静并知道我是上帝。”我知道，那段日子自己很少花时间做祈祷了。“我难道忙得连向上帝说一声谢谢都不可以了吗？”家里那个漂亮的院子一下子闯进了我的脑海。是啊，在那里我一定可以静下来。我渴望几分钟可以单独和上帝在一起。
那年春天，我和丈夫罗伊花了很多时间在院子里度过，并一起修整它。鲜花怒放、吊篮舒展的时候，真是令人兴奋。这才真正是宁静与安详的天堂啊。“此情此景，在上帝面前我如果还不能回复内心宁静的话，我将永远不能宁静下来，”我心里想着。趁着罗伊打电话的工夫，我偷偷溜了出去，坐在我心爱的摇椅上。我闭上双眼开始祈祷，并默数着祝福的次数。
一只鸟儿边叫边唱，从我的身旁飞过，打乱了我的思绪。它在喂鸟的盒子旁停下来开始进食，不大会儿便换支曲子飞走了。
我再一次闭上双眼。一阵风吹了过来，院子里的风铃便翩翩起舞，飒然作响。我的思绪又一次被打乱了。我蠕动着身子，在摇椅上扭动起来，抬首望天，云彩悠闲的滑向天际。风戛然而止，风铃也停止了舞蹈，恢复了平静。
我又开始恭敬的祈祷。 “嘟——嘟——”的汽车喇叭声使我几乎大吃一惊。原来一个邻居开车从路上驶过。他微笑着向我挥手致敬。我也挥手回礼，为他的关心感到欣喜。我迅速回过神来继续祈祷，重复着脑海里那句熟悉的经文：“要保持内心宁静并知道我是上帝。”
“我正在努力，上帝，真的。”我轻声低语，“但是你一定要帮我。”
后门打开了，丈夫走了出来。“我爱你，”丈夫说道，“我正奇怪你到哪里了呢。”我吃吃而笑，他走上前来吻我，然后我们转身回了屋子。
“宁静的时刻跑哪里去了呢？”我问上帝。我的心又开始焦躁不安起来。虽然我并不感到痛苦，可总有一种声音打乱我的思绪并使我陷入不安之中。我心里想着：“已经不可能了。世界上发生了太多的事情，在我的身边更发生了太多的事情。要想回复内心的宁静已经不可能了，上帝更不可能和我在一起。”
可我又恍然大悟，在我一次次尝试回复内心宁静的时候，上帝不是一直和我在一起吗？当我开始静下来的时候，他为我开启了音乐，还派来一只麻雀为我清歌一曲，并为我送来柔风阵阵，甚至通过邻居的一声招呼让我知道我还有一个朋友，随后还派我的爱人为我送来诚挚的爱意；虽然一度使我焦躁不安，可这是让我明白我还在生活。当我一次次默数祝福的时候，上帝不正忙着增加这些祝福吗？
我会意的笑了，那一次次对我的宁静时间的打乱其实是上帝异样的祝福，只是为了让我感觉到他一直都和我在一起。