Lesson learned: Be still

This really happened today, pretty much word for word:

Me: Today we are going to start working on a science project!
Student: What is it?
Me: Just wait, I'll explain it to you. We are going to start learning about the moon.
Student: Are we going to look at the moon every night? We did that when I was in kindergarten.
Me: Just be patient and I'll tell you. So we are going to start studying the moon and we are going to use a folder to keep track of all of the facts we learn...
Student: I didn't bring a folder. Did you tell us to bring a folder?
Me: Bud. Put your good listening ears on please and just hold on a second. We are going to make folders to save...
Student: Can my folder be red? I want it to be red because I only like red things.
Me: [I ignore that last comment (since I know all of the folders will be blue and I know he will be mad about that) and I continue on.] ... we will make folders to save all of our moon facts...
Student: But I don't know anything about the moon. This is going to be hard. I don't want to do this. I hate science.
Me: [on the inside] AHHHHH! [on the outside in my teacher voice] Buddy. Look at me. I promise I will explain everything you need to know and you're going to be able to do it. Okay?
Student: Okay.
Me: Great. Now pretty please zip your lips until I'm done explaining everything.

Have you ever had this kind of conversation with Heavenly Father? I feel like I do this all of the time. When I'm beginning a new life challenge or a trial has come my way, I am very quick to interrupt the process and say, "Wait. What? What is this?" Heavenly Father may begin to explain but I'm quick to jump in again. I complain that I've already been through something hard or I've already learned this lesson and I don't want to do it again. And then, again, I may get reassurance that it will be okay, but I choose to ignore it and I panic, decide that I don't have any faith, tell Him I'm not cut out for this, and I'm done.

It's at this moment that I have a decision to make. Am I going to remember that the Teacher is in charge and knows the plan? Or am I going to keep stressing and assume I know what's going on?

We may not know the end from the beginning or know what our "moon folder" will end up looking like, but we can know that Heavenly Father is perfectly in charge.

Now, in my experience today with my student, at the end, I told him to zip his lips and wait until I was done. I feel like this is different with us and Heavenly Father. He, unlike me, never runs thin on patience and is never tired of hearing from us. We are welcome to pray and ask for assurance and explanation as much as we feel we need to. Sometimes He may answer and give us a bit of an insight. However, He may ask us to go by faith for a little while and "be still and know that [He is] God." (Psalm 46:10)

At those times, when He asks us to go by faith, we can pray a lot, focus on the things that we do have control over, look back at times when we've successfully made it through other struggles, and listen to "Be Still My Soul" on repeat.

Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;

With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.