There are plenty of things that are pretty black and white for me.

• All diets can include daily servings of ice cream
• Baseball over hockey
• “Thou shalt take naps” is the 11th Commandment

One that I wish were but it just isn’t is when to be still and when to move. We’ve all been there. The last 24 hours have reminded me that it’s not simple.

Last night a friend asked for prayer. In my efforts to pray scripture over them, Exodus 14:14 spilled out.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Based on the need, this seemed like an honorable reply for prayer.

This morning while waiting in the green room at church between worship sets, I resumed reading this book:

In describing a lifechanging conversation with a longtime friend, Chacour acknowledged the grayness of being still.

Here was that old question that had troubled me so long: As a Christian do you speak out against the actions of your enemies-or do you allow them to crush the life out of you? So many seemed to think that submitting to humiliation was the only Christian alternative. Should you not, sometimes, be stinging and preserving like salt?

Old question. So many people have answered it in ways that we admire, question, or scratch our head. If only it were black and white.

Here’s my answering history. Sometimes I’ve been still successfully; sometimes I’ve sat still too long. Sometimes I’ve moved timely; sometimes I’ve moved too quickly.

It feels like I’m constantly learning the lesson much like engaging traffic lights.

• “Good Lord (not really a prayer). When is this light ever going to turn green?”
• “I’m sorry (sort of a prayer). I was looking at my phone.”

If I were in charge, the traffic light of being still would have three different colors from the traditional ones.

• Black = “You’ll regret moving, so don’t.”
• Gray = “Have some ice cream, and chill.”
• White = “Floor it!”

Good Lord (this is a prayer), thank you for fighting for me…and forgiving me when I don’t let you.