"Learning To Quiet Ourselves"

We seem to enjoy being loud and tirelessly moving about. We don't like being quiet.  In fact, we don't trust quiet. However, in our world of noise and volume, God still speaks in many ways and through many people. But mostly, in my experience, God speaks loudest when He whispers to us as we make the time to quiet our soul and listen

"Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Perhaps it is time we begin to quiet our lives and accept the offer of Christ and take on His yoke, let Him teach us, and help us find rest.  You see, when we quiet ourselves, Jesus teaches us amazing things.
 

In The Silence...

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Luke 1:19-20

 

Why are we so uncomfortable with silence?  We even refer to it as "an awkward silence."  We even go so far as to ask others, "Why are you so quiet?"  I read today's passage during Christmas, and it struck me that it is in the silence that God speaks to us.  Zechariah had been told by Gabriel that he and his bride, Elizabeth, were going to have a son.  Zechariah began with the arguments: "We're old, how can this be?" (Remember Abraham and Sarah?),

"Elizabeth is barren" (Remember Abraham and Sarah had the same 'issue'?).  In response, Gabriel reminds Zechariah that God is the one who will make this happen.  Then Zechariah is told that he will be silent AND unable to speak until his child is born.

 

To be honest, I spend a lot of time being quiet.  Honestly, I have no idea how it would feel to be unable to speak and unable to hear.  But I do know that, in order to really hear what God is telling us, we must be quiet!  How can we listen if we talk over others?  How can we hear if everyone's talking all the time?

 

When Jesus prayed, He would go off alone to a quiet place.  You see, it is in the quiet of our minds and our hearts that God speaks.  Yet it seems as though we have forgotten how to be quiet enough to listen.  And that is when God will sometimes put us in a situation where we MUST be quiet...as He did with Zechariah.

 

Finding Quiet In A World Of Noise

You are my place of quiet retreat. I wait for Your Word to renew me.

Psalm 119:114

 

Let me give you a thought: "The key to a stronger, healthier imagination is a daily quiet time."

 

It's not easy to find quiet in this world of noise and activity.  There's always something going on demanding our attention, demanding our time, demanding our energy, demanding our focus, with no chance to step away and recharge.  It seems as if we are always in a hurry.  We are always filling our time with activities.  It's as if we are deliberately trying to avoid being still and quiet.  It's as if we are fearful of recharging, resting, and listening to God's still, quiet voice.

 

In Matthew 6:6, Jesus said, "When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you."  In fact, Jesus often spent time alone to rest, recharge, and pray.  Who are we to claim we have no time for that?

 

I am an Introvert and, as such, I NEED time to be quiet so I can recharge. But PTSI makes me fearful of trying to be quiet because I don't want to hear and see what my mind and heart won't let go of.  Yet I know I need to do it.  And I have learned, from people wiser than I, to let the images and voices come.  As they come, give each and every one to God.  This has been a tremendous help.  But I also want to hear from God, so I always take a notebook with me to my Quiet Place to write my prayers as well as anything God brings to mind.  And, to be completely honest, I have sensed a marked improvement in my life. 

 

I try to take time every single day.  I put it on my calendar and keep it as I would a counseling appointment with a Deputy.  In doing this, God is rewarding the time by energizing me and helping me cope.  I urge you to have a daily time of quiet reflection.  Take the time to recharge, relax and listen to God.  In finding quiet in a world of noise, our lives will be improved. 

Keep Calm? Are You CRAZY?

If you believe that being a member of the Clergy means we are free from frustration, irritation, and the desire to use unkind words (and in our minds punching someone), then you will probably want to steer clear of Ministry as a career.

Let me explain: on Wednesday, I had a calendar full of events and appointments.  I had planned very carefully how to make it to each event and appointment early so I could have time to gather my thoughts, pray, and then go into action.  However, when I make plans, God proves that He has quite the sense of humor because every single driver I got behind apparently had no clue that the vertical pedal on the right makes the car move.  No matter which lane every car I got behind slowed down.  So much for arriving early (although I was early for the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service).

When it came time for a hospital visit at Lexington Medical Center, I got stuck in the traffic on the exit ramp for almost an hour (whoever designed the traffic flow for that location should be shot).  While making that visit my phone was blowing up with robocalls from spoofed numbers (and I seemed to have called myself twice).

Stopped at the grocer to renew my supply of office candy.  I had 4 items in the express line.  The person in front of me had food enough to find the source of the Nile.  Therefore, that was another 45 minute wait in line at a grocer who only had 2 lines open. After ringing up all this customers purchases, out came the coupons (many of which were expired which led to a rather heated debate), finally the purchase was made and the customer had to look at every item on the receipt to make sure they weren't being over charged.  Because of this lengthy exchange, I was a few minutes late to a Swearing In at the Sheriff's Office.

This continued all day, wherever I went.  So by the time I was ready to come home, I knew my blood pressure was probably at the exploding point, so I stopped off to calm down and have some coffee.  I re-read the devotional passage and had a few choice words for God because the passage was Psalm 131:2, "I have calmed and quieted myself."  David, the Beloved of God, must not have ever had such a frustrating day if he was able to calm and quiet himself!  And yet, perhaps he actually did have such a day because if he quieted and calmed himself then he was not quiet and calm before.  I could literally feel God's WHACK to my forehead.  Instead of lashing out at Him as I had intended, I had to confess my heart and ask forgiveness.

The second part of verse two reminds us that when a child is upset, they seek the comfort of their parent to handle and resolve what's bothering them.  That's what I needed (and still need) to do.  Then it hit me, yet again, God is the one in control of ALL things!  My frustration, irritation, anger, and unkind words were my effort to take over God's job and God used all the days events to remind me He truly is the one in charge.  When I finally realized that, Calm and Quiet replaced all that had been within me.

I'll leave you with Psalm 131:3. "O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always."  God is God, and we are not, so let Him do His job.

The Rest Of The Story

The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

Deuteronomy 29:29 

 

I was reading an article, by one of my favorite author's, this morning and at first I didn't like his perspective, his point or his point of view.  However, the more I pondered it, the more I realized what a complete idiot I have been for so long.

 

When God is silent, I figure He either is not interested in talking with me or I've "lost my touch" so to speak.  Because sometimes, not matter how many words I use to get my point across to God, I hear only silence. But I discovered something about myself this morning....silence can be deafening.

  

One of the things the article stated was that God doesn't give us the whole story, because we could not handle it if He did.  Can you imagine if God told you how long you would live, what you would face during your life, and the exact moment and method of your passing?  I think my response would be "Okay, that's pretty horrific, so can we just go ahead and end me now?"  

 

God has knowledge that we don't need to know.  But we are stubborn little cusses who think we need to know everything about everything.  We are IDIOTS!  

 

I've shared with you before that during my quiet time, I crochet, using each stitch as a prayer.  Normally, I have no idea what design, if any, to use and I have no idea who to give it to, but God does.  And usually, when I get to the last few stitches,  God doesn't say a word, He merely puts a face in my mind and then I know.  I don't know their story and don't need to.  What I DO know is that in God's Silence, He knows who needs what and when.

God is not silent because He's ignoring us.  God's silence is protecting us because He loves us too much to tell us everything.

 

 

Are You Afraid To Live?

Do all you can to live a peaceful life.

Take care of your own business,

and do your own work as we have already told you.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 

I'm not a fan of politics. I'm not a fan of LOUD either.  Yet they seem to go hand in hand, don't they?  "I may be wrong, but MY OPPONENT IS WORSE!"

When did we get the idea that LOUD meant correct?  Solomon said, "A quiet answer defuses anger, while a sharp tongue kindles a tantrum" (Proverbs 15:1).  We encounter this every single day, don't we?  People who believe that talking over you makes them right....or does it?  My thought is simple: If you feel you must talk over me (and drown me out) then you're just full of hot air.

Have you noticed how people seem to enjoy conflict and drama?  We are NOT afraid to yell right into another person's face.  We are not afraid to make a scene.  What we seem to be afraid of is being courteous!  What we fear is allowing someone who might disagree with us actually speak!  What we fear is being quiet!

One of the things I like to do when I get to teach is to insert periods of silence.  The Psalms had the word SELAH which, I was taught, means "stop and ponder."  When these periods of silence are presented, it only takes a few seconds before the uncomfortable shifting begins and the cellphones come out.  Quiet makes us uncomfortable!

One of the things I was taught in the Army was to listen to the sounds of the birds, bugs and animals.  If they go quiet, something is wrong.  So now, I have learned that quiet scares the wits out of most people.  

Rather like the notions of:

     Living a peaceful life (getting along with others)

     Taking care of your own business (without making a scene or making it all about your drama)

     And doing your own work!

The longer I live, the more I see how we are just bound and determined to live in direct conflict with the instructions God has given us. 

If You Would Be Wise....

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

~Proverbs 17:28

 

Did you know that wisdom is a lesson learned?

 

Think about this:

     *     Is it a good idea to get between a Mama bear and her cub?

     *     Is it a good idea to walk barefoot through a room in the dark?

     *     Is it a good idea to wrestle with a skunk....or a porcupine?

     *     Is it a good idea to jump off a cliff without a parachute just to taunt gravity?

 

You see, we learn some wisdom from experience.  I learned very early on that talking less gave my ears more of a chance to hear, and also gave my mind more time to understand.  Ever met someone who thought the one who talks the most and the loudest MUST be the one who is right?  Hmmmmm.......just because one uses many loud words does not make them wise; it merely makes them loud and annoying.

 

Let me share with you some nuggets of wisdom I have learned by being observant and listening:

     *    If the drink machine takes your money, putting MORE money in it seldom works.

     *    If you are in a hurry, traffic lights will conspire to stop you at every intersection.

     *    If you don't ask for help, chances are the ones who can help you won't know.

     *    Learning to laugh is good for the body, mind AND spirit.

     *    Hugs are the best therapeutic tool ever.

     *    If you encourage honestly (instead of using flattery) the results will last much longer.

     *    Pretending nothing hurts is nothing more than lying to yourself.

     *    Children see MUCH more than we give them credit.

     *    Children hear far more than we would like them to.

     *    Children will tell way more than we want them to.

     *    The person who annoys you, OWNS you! Because they have captured your attention long after they're gone and far longer than they are thinking about you.

 

 

"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own." - Publilius Syrus

Rock Band!

As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
~Luke 19:36-40

I have to admit it...I am no a fan of the Rolling Stones.  Never have been.  Do hate on me, there's just something about their music that grates on my nerves.  That being said, I will admit they have talent.  A group cannot be around as long as the Rolling Stones and have as many fans as they without having some talent.  It's just they aren't for me.

Jesus seems to have had the same relationship with the "church folk" of His day.  They grated on Him but they must have had something going for them to have been around as long as they were.  But that didn't make them any less annoying.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, the people were cheering for Him.  This irritated the "church folk" because, after all, no one cheered for them.  So they told Jesus to tell the cheering crowd to be quiet (and show some sort of civility because, after all, the 'church folk' are around and it's just not dignified to be so expressive).

Take a close look at Jesus' reply..."If THEY kept quiet, the stone along the road would burst into cheers!"  I don't know about you, but the idea that the stones along the road cheering Jesus would be a bit unsettling....at first.  But perhaps that would be the wake up call we needed to remember that Jesus IS, after all, the King Above ALL Kings!

Want to be part of that Rock Band?

THINK BEFORE TALKING!!!

Think before you speak,
    and be careful about what you say to God.
God is in heaven,
    and you are on the earth,
    so say only a few words to God.
The saying is true: Bad dreams come from too much worrying,
    and too many words come from foolish people.

If you make a promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it. God is not happy with fools, so give God what you promised. It is better not to promise anything than to promise something and not do it. Don’t let your words cause you to sin, and don’t say to the priest at the Temple, “I didn’t mean what I promised.” If you do, God will become angry with your words and will destroy everything you have worked for. Many useless promises are like so many dreams; they mean nothing. You should respect God.

 Ecclesiastes 5:2-7

I like to observe people.  People are fascinating to me.  Especially those who have some quirks.  But one of the quirks I have noticed becoming more and more prevalent is talking without thinking.  Let's face it, people like to talk.  Let's also face the cold hard truth that people don't like to think.  Whatever is on their mind is coming out like a bull at a rodeo!

Sadly, many of those who speak without thinking seem to be pretty proud of that fact.  One person I recently spoke with boldly told me, "I'm straight up saying what is on my mind and if people don't like it that's THEIR problem, not mine!"  Hmmmmm.......so by that logic, I can destroy someone's reputation because I say whatever is on my mind....and that's okay?  I can ruin someone's marriage because I say whatever I am thinking....and that's not MY problem?

But what we say IS our problem!  Why?  Remember the very words of Christ recorded in Matthew 7:12: "Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets."  If you don't want it said about you, then don't say it about anyone else!!!  How difficult is that?  

God created us with a brain.  That brain is more than just a way to keep our ears apart!  That brain is to be used to think about what we are saying or doing and how that will hurt or help others.   But we like to blame everyone else when we are the ones who caused the damage because we spoke without thinking.  

Speak truth!  Not the "truth" we want others to believe, but the clear truth before God!  If you were standing before God and He would render the verdict as to the truth of your words, would your words meet HIS standard?

And yet all it takes is THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!  

Ask yourself, is what I am about to release from my mouth:

•  Helpful?
• Encouraging?
• Uplifting?
• Truth?

If not, then is shouldn't be spoken.  Remember, if you don't want it said about you.....