Presence During Hard Times
Standing Still While the World Spins
When life gets hard, our mind goes looking for answers. Why is this happening? How do I fix it? What if it gets worse? We replay, rehearse, and strategize — as if enough thinking could make the ground stop moving. But the most difficult problems in life rarely improve through worry and rumination. What’s often being asked of us is something simpler: to stop searching for answers and start seeking Presence.
In Chapter 8 of Choosing Presence, Jim Heaney is careful not to promise an easy solution. He quotes Carl McColman, who describes God’s peace as “an equipoise that finds inner reliance on God… a rock that enables us to place our trust in God, enabling us to be present even in the midst of the pain and suffering that seems so overwhelming.” Being rooted in God, McColman writes, “doesn’t make pain, suffering, dread, anger… go away. But it does offer a new perspective, a better vantage point.”
This is the gift of presence in hard times. As Jim puts it, “God’s peace is eternal not because we’re permanently calm and without conflicts in our life, but because God’s peace is always there, at the core of our vibrant inner life.” The world may keep spinning. The circumstances may not change today. But in stillness, we find a ground that does not move.
This week, when the storm comes, stand still. Breathe. Trust that you are held.
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Brian Mueller – Poet, Community Organizer, and Spiritual Guide
Brian Mueller is a poet and community organizer based in Dayton, Ohio. He serves as Director of Education & Engagement for ChoosingPresence.org and is an active member of the Ohio Chapter of Illuman, where he co-leads writing retreats that support men’s spiritual journeys. As a writer, Brian is known for his candid, accessible poetry, with works including Cock‑A‑Doodle‑Doo: 100 Morning Haiku, the Poem of the Day series, and the Bull Series. Inspired by poets like Rumi and Mary Oliver, he believes everyone carries the voice of a poet within.
