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“My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 84:2 (ESV)

Tossing and turning slays us when we’re exhausted.  Desperately in need of sleep, we pull out all kinds of tricks and when all else fails a noise machine can do wonders.  From the sound of waves crashing on shore to drenching rain, these sounds fill up the quiet and/or disturbing noises keeping us awake.  And within moments, we drift off to dreamland and welcome our much needed rest.

Filling up the quiet, however, doesn’t always serve us well.  We need margins of tranquil, peaceful silence daily.  Don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but we live in a loud world.  Ongoing cell phone conversations fill our commute to and from work.  And if we aren’t on the phone, we can guarantee we will probably hear someone else’s conversation while standing at the checkout line in the grocery store – definitely too much information. Smart TVs humming in the background or music blaring from Alexa, this obsession with covering up the silence cheats us out of the sheer joy and pleasure of stillness.

The benefits of stillness and quiet offer us deep reflection, self examination, sweet moments and sheer joy sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Listening intently to hear His still small voice, rather than scrambling to cover up the silence. Giving space to evaluate if we are doers of the word not just hearers.  Creating an environment where emotions can be experienced and healed. Embracing God’s peace, comfort and wisdom.

Quiet comes at a cost.  Stealing some alone time when we would rather be hanging with family and friends.  Carving in margin to be still while allowing our endless list of things to do slip to the side momentarily.  Removing distractions like cell phones, social media, etc. so we can nurture our souls in His presence.  Yes, quiet comes at a cost yet it is totally worth it.

Sweet friends, choosing to not quiet comes at a much higher cost.  We fill the quiet with a wide range of noise to camouflage the aches in our souls.  We listen to endless podcasts, entertain countless surface conversations, binge on our fave shows and off to bed we go – still empty. Life will evolve just as it always does – definitely not worth the cost.

Love how Jesus exemplified the quiet life even in the midst of hundreds.  Traveling with His twelve besties didn’t rob Him of slipping away by Himself to bask in the quiet, stillness before God. Perfectly balanced in His relationship with the Father and others – the ones He came to save.  We can do the same by releasing our tendency to sabotage quiet while drowning out the leading of the Holy Spirit.

A beloved hymn writer, C. Austin Miles captured the pure beauty of quiet with His Savior when he composed “In The Garden.”    I remember hearing it often as a child since it was one of my dad’s favorites. “It is the daily companionship with the Lord that makes up the Christian’s life,” stated Austin. I come to the garden alone began his hymn and then the chorus reverberated the unspeakable joy found in walking, talking and staying in the presence of the Lord. Quieting our souls never sounded better  – it’s truly worth every minute.

“Father, You compel us to silence the distractions and noise so we can reflect, examine and enjoy the sweetness found in knowing You more. Teach us to value quiet regardless of the cost.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life