Quiet

Shhh. Can you hear that? Neither can I! It's quiet, except for the whirring of some fans.

My husband is at work, my oldest son is on a backpacking trip and my youngest is on the computer with headphones. This level of quiet is unfortunately a rarity in my household.

So, this morning I am pondering why I (and I assume others) try to fill the silence with unnecessary noise.

So, it is with my relationship with God; it shouldn't be filled with extraneous noise. Nonetheless, I choose the noise more often than I'd like to admit. I turn on music, log on to Facebook, and find a myriad of ways to distract myself. Quiet can be uncomfortable; being quiet is a discipline that takes practice.

I remember an assignment I had in a interpersonal communications class. I was paired up with someone and had to listen to that person for 5 whole minutes without saying a word, without interjecting anything. It was so hard. It took concerted effort, but it wasn't impossible.

Time to be quiet before the Lord should be set aside.

set apart.

sanctified.

made holy.

Why is quietness so important? Here are a few reasons:

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever

A woman should learn in quietness

Instead, [your beauty] should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight

Having never been a morning person, I have always struggled to get up while my house was still quiet to seek the Lord uninterrupted. This, I'm coming to learn, is so paramount to my walk. It's more important than sleep or schedules. It should be like air to me.

So I start out small, like a mustard seed (can I get in 10 minutes?) and ask God to grow it and He does! Sure, I have off days, but nothing compares to sitting at the feet of Jesus as He shows me how to be still and know that He is God.

Do you have 10 minutes today for the One who offers you eternity?