When You Feel Alone…
In moments of tribulation—when anxiety tends to block our ears—we must humble ourselves, and give heed to our Heavenly Coach.
Jelena Jankovic lost the Women's Singles championship match of the 2015 Paribas Open at Indian Wells because she was so stressed out, she failed to listen to her coach. One service game away from the win, Jankovic was physically and mentally exhausted. She called her coach out onto the court because she knew she needed something, but she didn't know what. Unfortunately, when she heard his advice, she FAILED TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO HIM. "Im ****ing nervous!" you can hear Jankovic exclaim in the clip below. However, instead of telling her what she wanted to hear—to breathe, which would have just made her hyper ventilate—he gave her two bits of serve-related advice, "Bring your toss back and go up and hit the ball." Jankovic was mad at him. Her myopic view of her situation prevented her from looking beyond what she needed to do to alleviate the anxiety which immediately beset her. She resisted the simplicity of his message—instead gazing back inside of herself—and ultimately ended up losing the service game and the championship.
In that critical moment, Jankovic's anxiety-ridden mind was too preoccupied to feel her coach's deep understanding and concern for how she felt. He gently prescribed two, mindless service concepts in order to help her to take her focus off of herself and the whirlwind of emotions corrupting her thoughts.
While you watch this story unfold in the video below, I want you to consider how Jankovic's exchange with her coach is similar to the ones we sometimes have with God, especially when we get stressed out. #finals
Find Time to Be Still
"It is important to be still and listen and follow the Spirit…Everyone needs time to meditate and contemplate. Even the Savior of the world, during His mortal ministry, found time to do so (Matt 14:23). We are often so busy and the world is so loud that it is difficult to hear the heavenly words “be still, and know that I am God.”
Handheld devices, such as smartphones, are a blessing, but they can also distract us from hearing the “still, small voice.” They need to be our servants, not our masters. For example, if later tonight you share inspiring thoughts from this devotional on social media, your smartphone is a servant. If you randomly surf the Internet, your smartphone is a master…"
Find a Place to Be Still
"In addition to finding time to contemplate and meditate, we also need to find a place, as mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, that will be “a defense, and … a refuge from the storm.” One of the best places to connect with the Spirit is in the temple—the house of the Lord. We can [also] find refuge in our homes or apartments when we choose to simply shut things off and be still and know of the things of God.
I invite you to go to the temple. Go as often as you can, and turn off your smartphones and put them away before you enter the temple grounds. In all the ordinances in the house of the Lord, you will hear beautiful language, words, and promises given by the Lord to His children. It is the only place you can hear those beautiful, inspiring words. If you do not qualify for a temple recommend right now, visit the temple grounds. Nothing prevents you or anyone else from visiting the temple grounds.
Recently, President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the Gilbert Arizona Temple. During the dedicatory prayer prayed: “May this, Thy house, be a sanctuary of serenity, a refuge from the storms of life and the noise of the world. May it be a house of quiet contemplation concerning the eternal nature of life and of Thy divine plan for us.”
Excerpts taken from a YSA Devotional by Elder Ballard, Be Still And Know That I Am God, delivered on May 4th, 2014 in San Diego, California.
Reflection
Like Jelena's coach, how frequently does your loved one, priesthood leader, or the Lord, prescribe service to others when you go to them for advice, caught up in your own whirlwind of problems?