Just stand firm

2Chronicles 20:17a You won’t have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm.

Sometimes all that is required of us in difficult situations is to show up and hold our ground.

I get very intimidated by difficult conversations. I try to plan out what I want to say, figure out what’s going to happen. I think of all the fancy retorts I can use, plan the battle strategy, figure out my defensive positions. In other words, I get ready for battle. All the fear and anxiety, though, ends up shutting me down, and I put it off, distracting myself with books and other enterainments. This verse reminded me that a conversation, especially a difficult one, doesn’t require a battle plan or a defensive strategy. I am called to be a peacemaker, or at least not to retaliate, so I don’t really need all that thinking and planning, which doesn’t get me anywhere anyway. This understanding of my call, and the knowledge that God is with me, allows me to engage in a difficult conversation, say what I need to say in as gentle a manner as I can, and hold my ground in whatever emotional upheaval occurs without responding in kind. In this way, I honor the path God calls me to, I honor the cherished child of God that my partner is, and I honor myself as well.

Don’t just do something; stand there! Sometimes, when God is in charge, that is all that is needed.

Prayer: Dear God, I am so grateful for the way that You lift these heavy burdens off my shoulders when I am willing to surrender my agenda to You. Give me the strength, courage and confidence to meet my difficulties with equanimity and compassion for all the others involved, that I may reflect Your love to those around me. Amen.