Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him."

This psalm tells us to not to worry, but to trust in the Lord and to wait patiently for Him.

How many times every day are we faced with a difficult situation or dilemma, and we have to choose a path to take? It seems that these dilemmas pop up many times each day, some more difficult than others. Large or small problems and choices should be treated the same: “Be still and wait patiently.” Waiting is hard, but waiting patiently is even more difficult. I suggest a formula** for dealing with difficult choices and problems:

• First, stay calm and do some research and make sure you understand the situation.

• Second, be patient. Do not expect the answer to come to you in an instant.

• Third, you can pray and ask for help from God.

• Last, check in with your prayer partners or a close friend or relative. Get a second or third viewpoint. They may think of something that did not occur to you.

Today, my biggest dilemma concerns my 11-year-old grandson, who is struggling in school; many days he just refuses to go to school. When I hear about this, panic sets in immediately. I start down an exaggerated mental path of doom, "Oh no, he will fail in school, get into drugs, and become homeless." What I should do is to stay calm and not panic. Then I should research the facts: talk to my grandson and find out what is going on and why he doesn't want to go to school. I need to be patient and not expect a quick and easy answer from him, and not expect things to change quickly. My grandson may face unique challenges that I probably cannot even imagine, anything from ADHD to bullies. I have already checked in with my prayer partners on this dilemma and I am told I have a "Grandma superpower" and I need to use it—unconditional love. I will try to wait patiently and not worry too much while I figure out what I can do with this superpower. I invite you to remember this "formula" and use it as a prayer to deal with difficult problems.

Paula Miller

** Inspired by Pastor Rick's blog