Still while Moving By: Chuck Cluff

Reflections by Chuck Cluff, Atherton resident since 2004

Passage: Romans 8:28 “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.”

At this very second we earthlings are moving 67,000 miles per hour around our sun. While moving at this pace we add even more speed in many different directions by driving, flying or even walking. The rate in which we traverse our globe keeps increasing as modes of transportation are more successful in combating or using gravity. If we are moving that fast how can we feel like we are not moving at all? Our inner interpretations and calculations do not compute the awareness of movement or speed. Inside we are not moving at all. It feels like we are still, stationary. We see and feel nothing moving, as in a large airplane. Incredible speeds don’t bother us at all.

How helpful it would be to have this same way of adapting to the rat race of life; with proper inner responses keeping us settled and calm no matter what is going on outside us. To have inner peace and tranquility while in the midst of hassle and confusion is a thing to seek.

Here is the secret: What we keep our thoughts on determines what goes on inside us. This is why the scriptures bring to our attention the need to keep our minds stayed on God’s presence and provision. The biggest culprit is anxiety. We worry and the world begins to spin. This happens because we feel uncertain, even scared of what may lie ahead. It doesn’t look safe.

Here are a couple of examples for seniors: At a time when we should feel very relaxed about the stage we are in, we can become worried about our money. Will it be enough to last? Or we encounter problems in our extended family. Maybe things even rise to crisis level, but we know there is nothing we can do. That’s hard. We start to worry.  

There is no shortage of issues to be anxious about. The promise that things will eventually turn out good, meaning everyone and everything will sometime ahead be fine, is very assuring. We certainly do need that confidence! One of the grandest works of the Spirit is convincing us of this truth; it will be OK. If we can appropriate this from our inner spiritual dimension, from our time with God in the secret place, we will know peace in the midst of storm. During outside storms we can know inner calm. We need Jesus to help us keep inner calm as he calmed the sea – inner stillness in outer circumstances that normally would cause the heart to race; God’s peace that does indeed goes beyond all understanding.