Be still, and know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10

ONE morning while trying to print an important document, I became angry at my computer for freezing up. I shut it down and restarted it, but still the document would not print. I was furious, angrily praying to God for help. Why does this always happen, I thought, when I need to print something important? This document would help others, and I expected the process to go right because I was doing something for God. I became angrier when all efforts to remedy the problem failed.

At lunchtime, I again tried to print the file–but to no avail. Again I became angry. As I was fuming, I realized that the computer and the printer were not the main concern in this situation; the real issue was with my spiritual health. If I were spiritually healthy, I would not have let this situation bother me so much.  I began to see what was lacking in my life–prayer, Bible study, and quiet time with God. I decided to renew my daily 10-minute quiet time with God–just sitting down and being still, as Psalm 46:10 says to do. This practice helps me to be calm in the midst of a chaotic world and my fast-paced part in it. Now during a day when everything goes wrong, I know that if I pause to be still, God can and will quiet me.