Silence

Focal Verse: "After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)"

My husband Matt was working the night shift, and I had just put Drew to bed. I started washing some leftover dishes when it started to drive me crazy.

Silence.

I wanted to turn the TV on simply for some noise, but I had decided that this night the TV was staying off. Then I was about to turn on some new [Christian] songs I downloaded on itunes, but that may have woken Drew up. And of course, my ipod and headphones were in the car. So there I was left with what was driving me crazy. Silence.

At our Mom to Mom class last night, one of the moms mentioned how every time her family is home the TV comes on, sometimes just for noise. I could definitely relate because our house is the same way. I've become so accustomed to the TV lulling in the background that when it's not on, it feels like something is missing. I'm the same way in the car. I've always got to have music on. It just doesn't feel right to have the audio system in the "off" mode.

So tonight when I was washing dishes, I decided I would make the best of the silence that was driving me crazy. I started praying for someone who had been on my heart all day. God started impressing on my heart how I should start handling some things a little better. I started praying for every person God put on my heart. I started giving my worries to God and praying about them.

What had been a miserable silence turned into a heart dialogue with God. Just in a matter of minutes, I had new perspectives on many of my worries, and God gave me a peace about things I had been burdened about all day. I was able to lift up prayer requests from last night's Mom to Mom group that I may not have remembered otherwise. All in just a matter of minutes while washing dishes.

I wonder how many of those moments do I miss because I just can't stand silence. How many times would God love to talk to me, but he can't get through?

Of course I'm not going to go chunk my TV in the garbage, but I am going to rethink when I push the "on" button. If I can start weaning myself off of the need for noise, I might just hear more of God's voice through the silence.