It's quiet.
My busy superhero has finally fallen asleep for his afternoon nap. My big guy is still at school and my husband is studying for his next sermon (Check out his awesome series on Jonah). Besides the monotonous drone of traffic outside, our house is completely silent. It most likely won't last long, but I'm savoring every moment.
It's strange to enjoy silence this much. I tend to be a little bit of a chatterbox. I love people and I find myself energized after a great conversation. 99% of the time, I have the radio or my favorite CD's playing as I drive. I can walk for miles if someone is with me to help pass the time!
Lately, though, I've been craving quiet. It's not because I have a migraine or my pregnancy hormones are on edge. It's not because I'm struggling with depression or deep burdens. Instead, my soul has been desiring the quiet rest that leads to more of Him.
Our world is so loud! Every day our hearts and minds are bombarded with a million different voices. We are told that we need more and more to be happy, content, and fulfilled. Even good voices shout that we're not spending enough time in educational activities with our kids. We're not writing consistently enough on our social media sites to build a solid following. We really should be switching all of our food and cleaning supplies to more natural items. We need to buy this or get rid of that.
We hear this noise on top of the already busy lives we lead as spouses and parents. We fall into bed exhausted hoping we wake up with enough energy to make it through just one more of these crazy days.
In our roaring society, these verses almost sound foreign and definitely appealing. I'm learning that this kind of quiet rest doesn't just happen. It's an intentional choice.
We have to consciously turn down the volume dial in our homes and lives to hear the silence and savor the stillness that we read about in these Psalms.
It could be that we need to literally turn off the television, close our laptops, or adjust the notification settings on our phones. It could also mean that we are deliberate in the activities we say "yes" to for ourselves and our families. When we fail (which will happen often), it means taking time to refocus our hearts on the sufficiency of the gospel and Christ's sacrifice for us instead of pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and trying harder!
Most of us wouldn't let our young kids decide their own bedtime on a regular basis. Their little bodies and brains need rest and we as their loving parents enforce their sleep time for their own good. In the same way, we have to learn to be quiet for the good of our soul. We must develop the discipline of "waiting in silence" and "being still" to hear the gentle voice of the Spirit in our lives.
Life's distracting and relentless sounds become idols when they prevent us from truly hearing the beautiful and transforming truth of the gospel.
Things may be a little quiet here at the blog for a while (I'm not sure if that means 2 weeks or 2 years). Believe it or not, that online silence is intentional. The pressure of consistent blogging has long been a nagging voice in my life that keeps me from relishing the voice of the One whose approval truly matters. I am willing to forgo writing in this little space if it means diving deeper into the knowledge of His grace with a quiet and open heart!
I'm savoring the silence to hear and learn more of Him! What about you? How do you deal with the "loudness" in life?
Share in the comments here.
It's strange to enjoy silence this much. I tend to be a little bit of a chatterbox. I love people and I find myself energized after a great conversation. 99% of the time, I have the radio or my favorite CD's playing as I drive. I can walk for miles if someone is with me to help pass the time!
Lately, though, I've been craving quiet. It's not because I have a migraine or my pregnancy hormones are on edge. It's not because I'm struggling with depression or deep burdens. Instead, my soul has been desiring the quiet rest that leads to more of Him.
Our world is so loud! Every day our hearts and minds are bombarded with a million different voices. We are told that we need more and more to be happy, content, and fulfilled. Even good voices shout that we're not spending enough time in educational activities with our kids. We're not writing consistently enough on our social media sites to build a solid following. We really should be switching all of our food and cleaning supplies to more natural items. We need to buy this or get rid of that.
We hear this noise on top of the already busy lives we lead as spouses and parents. We fall into bed exhausted hoping we wake up with enough energy to make it through just one more of these crazy days.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
Psalm 62:1
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
Psalm 62:5
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.....
Psalm 37:7
In our roaring society, these verses almost sound foreign and definitely appealing. I'm learning that this kind of quiet rest doesn't just happen. It's an intentional choice.
We have to consciously turn down the volume dial in our homes and lives to hear the silence and savor the stillness that we read about in these Psalms.
It could be that we need to literally turn off the television, close our laptops, or adjust the notification settings on our phones. It could also mean that we are deliberate in the activities we say "yes" to for ourselves and our families. When we fail (which will happen often), it means taking time to refocus our hearts on the sufficiency of the gospel and Christ's sacrifice for us instead of pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and trying harder!
Most of us wouldn't let our young kids decide their own bedtime on a regular basis. Their little bodies and brains need rest and we as their loving parents enforce their sleep time for their own good. In the same way, we have to learn to be quiet for the good of our soul. We must develop the discipline of "waiting in silence" and "being still" to hear the gentle voice of the Spirit in our lives.
Life's distracting and relentless sounds become idols when they prevent us from truly hearing the beautiful and transforming truth of the gospel.
Things may be a little quiet here at the blog for a while (I'm not sure if that means 2 weeks or 2 years). Believe it or not, that online silence is intentional. The pressure of consistent blogging has long been a nagging voice in my life that keeps me from relishing the voice of the One whose approval truly matters. I am willing to forgo writing in this little space if it means diving deeper into the knowledge of His grace with a quiet and open heart!
I'm savoring the silence to hear and learn more of Him! What about you? How do you deal with the "loudness" in life?
Share in the comments here.