Remain Calm Folks

Written by Dino Bray

Remain calm folks…there’s nothing to see here.

I love the Andy Griffith show. I confess…I’ve always loved it. As a little boy I loved to watch every chance I could…some would call it an obsession I suppose. And even now as an adult I’ll watch an episode I’ve seen a dozen times just because I always learn something new about life from the great philosopher and theologian, Sheriff Andy Taylor. Now I don’t really think Andy considered himself to be those things, but you get my meaning.

I have favorite characters too. Barney Fife and Earnest T. Bass were my friends. Earnest T always wanted what he wanted “right now”; always convinced he was doing the right thing. He had good intentions but rarely understood his own motives completely. When trouble arose in Mayberry, Barney was usually outmanned and outgunned (mentally and physically), but he wanted everyone else in Mayberry to think he had it all under control. When Andy would come in to save the day AND Barney’s reputation by handling things, I would laugh out loud when Barney would disperse onlookers with the official sounding “remain calm folks…there’s nothing to see here.”

I’m a little like both of these guys when it comes to things of faith and life. I often want things, or think I want things, or need things, (you get the idea), and have little patience in waiting on God’s answer when I’m quite sure I know what we (me and God) are supposed to do. And when things don’t work out like I’ve planned I get nervous about my abilities and usually shoot myself in the foot, as it were. I’m sure glad God still has things under control, regardless of my misunderstanding of His way, or my inabilities to handle it all.

Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” I think I’ll work more on being still, and on keeping my bullet in my pocket. It sure seems to work better that way.