by John. Fischer, King David, and Paul Sonkowsky

Be still in the presence of the Lord,

   and wait patiently for him to act.

Don’t worry about evil people who prosper

   or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7

Let me remind you why we are spending so much time on Psalm 37 this week. It’s because the message of this psalm is particularly relevant to our world right now and to the anxieties and fears people, including some within the church, are struggling with. Mostly, it’s about how those fears and anxieties drive us away from our core message and purpose for being in the world in the first place.

We are here to provide order in the chaos. To be a rock in the storm — a place people come to be safe and secure. And we cannot provide any of that when we are as caught up in the current fear and anxiety as they are. Peter says in 1 Peter 3:14, “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” That’s because ours is a message of hope, but if we are caught up in the same fears as everyone else, it cancels out our message.

So what does David say right here in light of this? “Be still.” Relax. Don’t get uptight. Don’t get all up in arms about the way things are going. When it comes to things outside your control, wait patiently for the Lord to act. He’s in control. He’s not afraid. As far as He’s concerned, everything is going along just as planned. Don’t worry, and don’t fret.

In this single verse, the Lord tells us through David to be still, wait patiently, and don’t worry or fret. It couldn’t be any clearer. You’ll need this psalm to keep your wits about you today. And if you hold on to this perspective, you will give people something they are not expecting. Can’t you see yourself smiling through all the things that try to upend your faith reality right now? Be still. Trust in the Lord, and be eager to do good. Believe me; they won’t see your goodwill coming.

I invite you to step into the shoes of MemberPartner and Vanguard leader Paul Sonkowsky as he tells us his story about being calm amidst the storm.

“Be still … wait patiently … don’t worry.”  Easy to say but not necessarily easy to do.  Especially when you have an anxiety disorder.

My mental health difficulty first became clear over 25 years ago.  I had desperately been hoping to have a second child, but it looked like that was not going to happen.  In a self-centered reaction to my sadness about it, I let self-pity stew inside me.  Night after night, these feelings gradually became overwhelming, and I developed a pretty severe case of insomnia that ended up lasting many months.  I was in my early forties, and insomnia intensified as I felt like time was running out — not only for adding to my family but also for ever doing anything of significance.  My career was not going well, and I was unsuccessfully trying to change jobs (and then greatly regretting the new job I finally did manage to get).  What had begun as a pity party for myself quickly became something very much out of control, with chronic sleeplessness and increasing worry.  In the night, I would pace about the house.  At three or four in the morning, I would often be in front of the TV, tuned to C-SPAN, hoping vainly that it would bore me to sleep!  The sadness and anxiety carried over into the daytime, too.  I remember driving to work one morning, getting stuck in traffic, and feeling a strong urge to jump out of the car and run away.  That’s when I knew I needed help.

Of course, during all that time, I often prayed.  And I poured through various Bible passages at night (undoubtedly including Psalm 37), searching for comfort and assurance just to be able to try to sleep.  On a couple of occasions, I sought counsel from fellow believers.  But it took something else, something ironic, to finally move me towards recovery.  We eventually tried for a second child and were able to announce a pregnancy in early 2000.  But soon, we found that my wife had a miscarriage.  And several months later, the same thing happened again!  Surprisingly — and I was probably the most surprised — this did not send me further into a downward spiral.  On the contrary, I was lifted out of despair.  The sense of hopelessness decreased, the insomnia dissolved, and the worry subsided.  Right amid our sadness about the miscarriages, I experienced great relief.  The reason?  God was back in charge.  Or, more accurately, I was made to realize anew that God was as much in charge as He ever was.  And somehow, I could hold on to that.  Even though I didn’t know all the “whys.”  Even though I didn’t understand it.

Suffice it to say that later, when our younger son was born (our “last try”), we gave him names pointing to what we both felt we’d learned — Gabriel: “God is my strength”, and Jonathan: “Gift of God”.

My struggle with anxiety has not disappeared, by the way.  I take a prescription medication to help with it.  Some Christians will say this shows a lack of faith.  Some non-believers might say this shows my faith is unfounded.  I take it as a call to trust God for my mental health even while taking medication and to try to wait patiently, even when it seems like there’s no answer.

I encourage you, dear community members, to step into your vulnerability when looking to trust God in your life. I look forward to reading those willing to tell me their story.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,

   and wait patiently for him to act.

Don’t worry about evil people who prosper

   or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7