Enjoy the Quiet…
As I grow older, I notice that I seek the shelter of silence more and more. In years gone by I would flip on the television or music when I was alone. But now, given the option, I turn off everything. It allows the quiet to settle inside my ruffled places, inside the voices of the day and hushes them. I need the quiet to balance the frenetic in my life. I need the quiet to discern Christ’s voice from all of the others.
Sometimes Christ’s voice to me is a waterfall, and I couldn’t miss it on the freeway during rush hour, but usually it’s a soft rain, a gentle breeze, or even a whisper and I must lean in to hear.
The quiet gives me opportunity to sort myself out in God’s presence. Thats when I stop any pretending and excusing. The stillness gives me space for confession and petitions. I open the stained glass window of my soul. My heart finds centeredness in God’s grace.
How true it is. I remember that everytime I got in the car I would turn on music but now I love the quiet and peacefullness. You are an encouragement to so many. Thank you!
Amen and amen, my friend. The lack of quiet is pandemic in today’s world. I vote for a “Noise-Free Day”! Everyone just stops the racket, shuts off the technology, and takes one day to discover what you’ve written about: the blessing of quiet.
I crave quiet from time to time.
Totally agree Patsy!
I am the mother of 4. They are all grown now but I remember them asking me WHY I never turned the radio on in the car!! I loved the quiet. It’s calming. It also gave me an opportunity to hear my thoughts!! – only mothers may understand that! Jim Elliot spoke of God wanting us to have quiet but the devil always wants us to have noise. I’ve found for me that is true. I need the quiet.
I too find that as I am getting older,,, I prefer the quiet. I prefer listening to the “natural” sounds of this world,,,,,birds,leaves blowing in the wind,,,crickets,,,,,:) It can be very soothing to just be still and listen to God,,,,who is all aound us.
Patsy, early mornings, when all is peaceful, quiet and fresh, are one of the places I love thanking the Lord for the gift of a new day. You put it into words so very preciously, (if that’s a word!) and so succinctly. When I wake up, thanking HIM for another precious day, in the quiet stillness and peace and beauty all around, I hope and pray that the rest of the day will follow suit. We get so busy that often, in the hustle and bustle, we find ourselves succumbing to our “humanness”, with ill thoughts toward those people who hog the whole aisle in the market, so we can’t pass, or the people who go 10 miles below the speed limit in the fast lane, or even someone who said something to us, and we took it all wrong. At the close of the day, when evening falls, and I look up in the sky, and see his glory once again, praising HIM, for the peacefulness and beauty of the heavens, how I long for Him, asking for forgiveness once again………thank you for posting. It’s heaven knowing we’re on the same page!
How very true this resonates with me…I am now at the point in life where if the radio is on , I reach over to turn it off when driving. I look forward to everyone in the house going to bed so I can sit in my relaxing corner and read and think, meditate, pray etc.
And you are right, you can hear the Lord a lot better if there isn’t a lot of outside noise going on…He usually isn’t a shouter so you have to listen close to catch what is being said! 🙂
You do have a “frenetic” life, Patsy…totally opposite from most of my rural days on Pollywog Creek. Even so, I delight in the quiet, alone time. I seldom turn on the TV (only if there is something I’m truly interested in watching), and I’ve realized lately that I can’t concentrate with any background noise. I have a friend who used to tell her children that they were going to turn off all noise and have 30 minutes of quiet to rest their ears. I like how you phrased it…”the shelter of quiet.” XOX
How ‘preciously’ put (love that word, Debi), Patsy. I can so relate! Psalm 23:1-3
I’m enjoying the quiet this morning. I’m at the beach trying to clear my head of clutter. Love this post!
Benita
Patsy, you are a verbal artist. My hubby agrees, stating that he could see the brush strokes as I read your post on “quiet”. Thank you so much. Have a beautiful day, dear sister!
Patsy, you worked magic with your words! This is so beautifully put… thank you!
The only way for me to get quiet is to run away from the house, from civilization, and banish myself in exile in the middle of a long hike in the wilderness. Then, and only then, do I get complete quiet. Otherwise, I begin to get restless in a completely quiet house. LOL.
ahhhh, yes, the quiet. As a sanguine, it is good to be alone with the LORD. Thank you for an uplifting weekend Patsy!
I saw you at the Women of Fath in Anaheim and had to go on your site. I will be reading your blogs often you are an amazing woman. We got your Stained Glass Hearts book for my sister we thing it will be great for her. Next year wer gonna bring both of them. It was the greatest conference I was so glad I got to go I cried and I laughed and most of all I raised my hands and worshiped the Lord with all my heart and relized everyone has problems and we all are together in them. Thank you
Patsy. You have touched my life in so many ways. I cannot begin to tell you how much your stories and love for God have inspired me. Thank you!
As I watch the young people walking down the road with texting with their Blackberry’s or plugs in their ears listen to their ipods. I feel so sorry for them.
I remember walking home from school and listening to the world talk. Or walking with the friend and listening to her talk. And now I too love the quiet so I can listen to God talk. It is all relational and that is what God wants is a relationship with us. I pray for the young people to become unpluged from their technology and to plug into what is greater. The voice of God.
Thank you for your wisdom Patsy. I learn alot from you.