be still, my soul

I needed comfort music on the road today. Leaving my parents' house after a whirlwind Christmas break, my mind awash in a sea of stress, I needed something that would bring me back to reality. Not the reality of the day-to-day, but the reality of the eternal.

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

I'm an impatient person when it comes to loose ends in my life. I want to know what's coming. I want to understand the whole picture. But life doesn't work like that. However, as the odometer ticked off mile after mile in the five hours from Dublin to GR, the tangled webs in my mind began to straighten out. Surely this, too, shall pass, and soon life will not feel so overwhelming.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake

To guide the future, as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

The sun broke through the clouds as I was partway home, beams of light visibly bursting from the sky to the ground, casting forward shadows on the road. But even the light of the sun only illuminates a partial path. Even so, there is not time to get bogged down by fear. I can only put one foot in front of the other, stepping forward in faith ever day, trusting that this will all work out somehow.

Be still my soul; the hour is hastening on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.