Be Still

A few evenings ago, I sat on our balcony some time just before sunset. As I sat there gazing at the beautiful colors painted across the sky, I began to notice other finer details in the world around me. A gentle evening breeze that swayed the trees and flushed away the heat of the day, a small dog yipping in the distance, a neighbor's pans clinking as she washed them in the sink. In that moment, all I wanted to do was be still, to be quiet and rest before our Great God. I began thinking of how often my life, our lives, are filled to the brim with junk, busyness, and noise. When was the last time we switched everything off in order to listen to Him in the stillness? If you recall, when the Lord came to Elijah, he was not in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake, but in the still silence. Perhaps all the things, they may even be inherently good things, inhibit our ability to listen. I've often wondered what the song "Take Time to Be Holy" really means. Does it mean to be more careful to be perfect? I think maybe sitting quietly before the Lord is taking time to be holy, allowing Him to mold us in His presence.

After my own reflections that evening, I wanted to challenge others to listen, to switch off the television, radio, computer, and all other distractions, and just listen. Take a quiet walk one evening or sit on your patio to think and to listen. Resist the urge to plan, organize, or do anything else but listen. Maybe we'll hear what we've been waiting for.