Day 26-Finding Enjoyment in Silence

I spent a good part of today in relative silence.  I say relative because I was on the back of a motorcycle which most people wouldn't consider silent.  It sort of is for me, because I'm a white noise person, I like a single sound that drowns out all others.  A more than 1350 cc engine on the open road is a perfect white noise.  

That noise helps my my mind rest, and my thoughts become ordered.   Lots of the people we ride with have bikes with more technology than NASA, or they ride with an iPod or Bluetooth. There's nothing wrong with that.  For me, the bike is one of the few times I can resist the temptation to answer a phone, write an email, clean something or run an errand.  It is forced relaxation.  

Years ago, like 25 of them, my office overlooked a railroad track. Every day when the afternoon freight train came by, I would stop, turn away from the computer and force myself to watch the train go by until I couldn't see it anymore. That was my break.  My only break.  Pretty warped, huh?  Eventually I met a co-worker who would force me to take other breaks, which I appreciated so much I married him. 

We do not live in a very relaxing, quiet world, and for some of us being quiet is more of a challenge than it is for others.  It is for me. It's hard for me to shut every thing off so I can hear from God and He can deal with me.  But it is so necessary we get silent. David did. 

Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved....

My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. 
Psalm 62

If you want to know Him in this way, get silent.  If you have trouble sitting silently, tell someone who can pray for you and with you.  This seems to be the one of the biggest hindrances I hear of when people tell me they don't get anything from reading the Word, or praying.  It's so often because they can't or won't be silent, or wait silently long enough for God to speak. He always does, but many times we are already on to the next thing. And if we're honest, many times it's because we don't want to hear what He has to say to us.  

Is there chaos in your life?  Strife, anxiety, a lack of confidence in what your doing or where you're headed?  You need a rock, a refuge.  But to get there, silence is required. 

David challenged himself to wait silently-will you? 

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