Be Still and Know ... Know What?

"Be still and know that I am God." 

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know, says God in the much-quoted psalm. Our Maker ties our ability (and willingness) to be still with knowledge. But knowledge of what? What is it we don't know when we are not still?

When I go-go-go with little time to enjoy a slow meal, a relaxing walk or time set aside for reflection on the events of my days and weeks, I've noticed a few things.

I become restless inside.

My sleep suffers and so does my ability to listen deeply. With many basic needs unmet, I become self-centered. I don't stop to smell the roses and have little time or energy to consider the needs of others. I become impatient and have trouble relating to others, especially the hurting.

Can you relate?

When we don't stop to become inwardly still, we miss out. We neglect the sunset that calls us to reflect on its Maker. We miss the beauty all around us, whether in nature or in people. When we go-go-go, we miss out, and it hurts us (and others).

This is a terrific formula for burnout and a lack of compassion. But Psalm 46:10 implies that our lack of stillness helps create an even bigger problem, one that transcends our temporal lives.

If we're not inwardly still, if we're always on the go with few rest stops to reflect on life and what's of eternal significance, this go-go-go lifestyle affects our ability to know and recognize Truth and God Himself. Though we may complete our to-do lists through such haste, we have missed our Maker, the One who imparts wisdom and helps us live the rich, full lives we crave.

God's call for us to be still and know is of critical importance. And it feels very different from haste.

When I take time to be still, perhaps through gardening, music, or painting, nature walks or simply sitting with God in silent, trusting prayer, peace returns. My mind quiets down and I experience a deep rest in my soul. And in that stillness I experience God's presence.

I hear God's gentle whispers of love and comfort and there, with God, I rest.

Such stillness is a gift, for in it I discover the God who never left me, though I'd wandered off once more. And the more I sit with Him, the more I recognize His voice — the voice that rescues me from impatience and haste unto love.

Be still and know that I AM God, says God to you and me.

Be still ... that you may know, experience, and believe that I AM God. Your God.

Be still!
Dr Mari

Listen to Fernando Ortega's rendition of Be Thou My Vision to help you be still today.

For more inspiration, read Seek and You Will Find: The Joy of Relationship.

Purpose: An Antidote to Burnout

This week, I had another one of those conversations where I can no longer remain silent. A friend began to criticize a doctor, selling me the popular line that all his doctor cares about is money. I never used to feel a need to speak up for my colleagues, but I do now. With all the challenges and obstacles we face in healthcare, somebody needs to speak up for us — so why not me!

I just read a terrific article addressing the epidemic (my term) of physician burnout and our need of resiliency training. As I read, I wondered, How many professions out there talk about needing to train in resiliency? Next time you see a doctor, try not to think about this: "One-third to one-half of physicians meet burnout criteria, leading to very real suffering among physicians and their families." That is a huge number of caregivers helping others while running on empty, discouraged and unfulfilled. To me, this is not only an epidemic — it reflects a crisis in our profession that's affecting society as a whole.

Our task as physicians is extremely difficult; sometimes it seems impossible. We must be caring, compassionate, efficient, thorough, patient, engaging, knowledgeable, up-to-date, skillful, and able to diagnose, encourage, empower, inspire, treat, keep good records, and more ... all in half the time the typical sitcom lasts. It's tiring just thinking about what we're expected to do each day, especially when you consider other factors that affect what we do, such as patient denial, fear, anger, distrust, substance abuse, and personality disorders. In some ways, it's surprising that the rate of burnout isn't even higher!

The authors speak of a resiliency triad that helps strengthen those in the caring fields. This triad involves developing greater insight and a commitment to one's values and to a healthy lifestyle (sleep, nutrition, activity level, among others). I agree that these are all essential and sometimes lacking among my peers but, very often, it's because of the challenges built into our personalities, our profession, and the culture in which we practice. In the culture of medicine, rest is equated with laziness and a commitment to balance is often looked down upon by the overachieving, perfectionist personality that prevails.

The gifts we bring to our profession often become our greatest liability.

Yet, I agree that there is much we can do to help ourselves and care for people with compassion. Although at times what we must do seems impossible, we really can do it, but we must also have the courage to change ourselves and our environment when needed.

The privilege to care for others must be balanced with our need to care for ourselves and our families. I have also found that, as I align my practice of medicine with my values and who I am, I have much more joy, I am much more effective, and those I care for leave encouraged, inspired, and even empowered to live according to their own. This return to congruence has had more impact on my satisfaction and joy as a doctor than anything else I've done. It's helped me grow as an individual, and it's made me more compassionate.

Aligning what we do and how we help others with our values means we have the courage to be ourselves: broken, human, and vulnerable. This inner change impacts not only ourselves but our staff and our patients. This commitment to stop pretending we're perfect, this paradigm shift to be fully ourselves while caring for others begins to transform the culture in which we practice.

I believe questions like, Who am I? and Why am I here? have the power to transform our day-to-day lives. In every profession, we must find that spark that helps us do what we must do with joy. Finding our purpose and living it out — becoming who we were created to be — is a source of contentment that also increases our effectiveness. It's a win-win!

So what can we start doing to achieve that today? And tomorrow. And the next day....

I invite you to have the courage to be yourself. 

Joyfully,
Dr Mari

Learn more about my journey to greater wholeness in my book, Walking with Jesus in Healthcare.

Quote from Physician Resilience and Burnout: Can You Make the Switch? Family Practice Management, Jan-Feb 2013.

Physician: Heal Yourself!

I recently saw an ad for one of the medical VIP services that read,

“Healing Others Shouldn't be Killing You.”

A “choking” visual created by a stethoscope looped around itself pulled me in, triggering flashbacks of my career as a physician. I remembered practicing as an Air Force officer with competing authorities - the military rank system and the medical hierarchy – which proved impossible to reconcile at times! During my second year in that challenging job, I fell on my knees one night and prayed, “Lord, I need You. If You are real, please reveal Yourself to me!”

He did, and my life has never been the same again.

When I gave my heart to Christ, He began to transform it, changing me as a mother, as a wife, and as a doctor. God is faithful to answer our prayers to know Him. And when we give Him our brokenness, He gives us life; what an exchange!

As I picture the loops around the choking stethoscope, I recognize that many physicians and caregivers feel like this right now. Squeezed in from every direction. Stretched to the max. Spent. And they feel this way right as they head for the door to see their next patient.

In a recent study of 1,195 physicians from various specialties, “nearly one-third of physicians responding to the survey indicated that they will want to leave medical practice after health reform is implemented.” One out of every three! I know of an office that recently lost three doctors in less than nine months. They all left for the same reasons. They had no joy in their work, little control over their days, and felt that they couldn't provide excellent care with the time constraints and other obstacles they face daily. In medicine, less is rarely more.

We need well-trained, compassionate team members as well as adequate resources and time to care for people with significant problems. The right fit is hard to find, and many never find it. For me, finding the right fit meant that I had to change, too, and learn to think outside the box. I chose to start working as an independent contractor, which has afforded me the flexibility to pursue God's call on my life as a pastor's wife, mother, author, speaker, and doctor. Joy has returned to my work, and I see myself as a servant in healthcare. 

Although the changes in my professional life have been life-giving, they came at a price. I've had to embrace a non-traditional model that others may not choose for themselves. Yet, in Galatians 1:10, Paul challenges our perspective and reminds us to consider our motives. “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?... If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

These days, my joy and peace come from knowing that my choices are pleasing to God, and that is all I need.

No, helping others shouldn't be killing us. That is not God's will for His servants. Healing others is, in fact, life-giving when we do it with Jesus and to please God. I think many of us do it for Jesus but not necessarily with Him. This gap can be bridged through daily, intentional choices involving prayer, meditating on God's Word, adoring Him in worship, and through meaningful conversations with colleagues about the Lord and what He's doing in our personal and professional lives. The closer we walk with Him, the more He works through us, and He is a God of healing.

Are you working for Jesus on your own? There is a better way! Organizations like the Christian Community Health Fellowship can come alongside you as you work for the Lord in healthcare. If in doubt, ask yourself, is this God's will for my life, for my family, and for my patients? Ask Him to help you discern and prioritize your days around His agenda for your life, and resolve to make every necessary change – with His help – to remain aligned with His perfect will.

Joyfully,

Dr Mari 

My Injury - A Megaphone!

So I hurt my hand. My right hand. My writing hand. Just as I was starting to add the final edits to my book. So instead of editing bliss, I have four more weeks to learn to appreciate the splint that protects my right thumb and my wrist's scaphoid, the bone I hurt when I fell off my bike.

And, yes, I recognize that I just started two sentences with "so" and another with a preposition, but remember. No editing bliss. My writing captain is on strike. By that, of course, I mean my right thumb. The space bar is critical to a writer, and the left thumb has way too many duties now.

All that said, there have been some benefits to this nuisance of an injury. Like my sweet husband putting my hair up when I opt for a pony tail - which is every morning now - mostly so I get to watch him do it. Too cute!

I've also realized how much I ignore my left hand when I'm well, relying heavily on my dominant hand. How often we use only some of the gifts God gave us while others lie dormant, unused and under-developed! I'm committed to using my left hand more after my right hand heals.

My biggest lesson came last week while Russ fetched the bag of sugar I couldn't quite grasp left-handed. I finally confessed, "I just want to be self-sufficient!"

"Really? That's what you want? Inter-dependent is what you mean. You want to let us help you when you need us, don't you?"

Well, in truth, no; I don't. I want to be able to do everything for myself with little need of others. A recovering perfectionist and type B wanna-be, I live by my to-do list and, lately, I simply cannot get it all done.

Somehow I sense that was part of God's plan in allowing this annoying detour to my perfect plans.

So what's my point? I guess I've realized how much I take for granted every single day. How much I need others. And the blessing of asking for help when I need it and accepting it with grace.

My alarm went off this morning with a song of praise. As I tested my thumb, I noticed it still hurts. So I joined the song on the radio, thanked God for another day, and walked over to my hubby, hair-tie in hand. He knew just what to do.

I'm pretty sure he smiled, and I definitely said thank you.

Grateful,
Dr Mari

Contentment: Good For the Soul and Evidence of Trust

Last night I was blessed to hear a fantastic talk about contentment by a dear friend, mentor, and sister in Christ. Mary Tomlinson, speaker, consultant, and president of On-Purpose Partners, reminded us of five pillars of contentment*:

(1) Devoting time with family and friends
(2) Appreciating what we have
(3) Cultivating optimism
(4) Feeling a sense of purpose
(5) Living in the moment

She reminded us that abundant living is about relationships rather than things or accomplishments. She encouraged us to practice gratitude daily, learning to count our blessings rather than our struggles. And she shared that we will grow in contentment as we learn to trust God.

Here are a few verses on contentment that are worth pondering:

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5)

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Written by the apostle Paul from prison, Philippians 4:12,13)

If Paul learned to be content whether he was free or behind bars, there is hope for all of us! If we derive all strength from our fragile souls, we are doomed. But if we seek and rely on God as our rock, we will discover His sufficiency, sovereignty, and faithfulness. His love endures forever. As we know God more, we learn that we can trust Him, and we experience a peace that helps us stand in overwhelming circumstances.

As we learn to trust our Creator we discover the joy of contentment. Although we may not have arrived there fully, once we experience this exchange, the relationship helps us to trust again during the next challenge.

May we all learn, like Paul, to trust God in every circumstance and live for Him.

Trusting Him and, thus, content,
Dr Mari

For more ways to grow in contentment, read Living in the Moment. To find out more about Mary Tomlinson and her work to help individuals and organizations identify and pursue their purpose, visit www.onpurposebusiness.com/marytomlinson.

* From the Mayo Clinic's How to be Happy: Tips for Cultivating Contentment.