Some people are wired to crave some amount of silence in their lives. There are others who do whatever they can to fill every moment with sound. I am the silent type.
Of course, we have a two year old at home, so I don't expect and awful lot of silence in my home, but I am noticing that anything resembling silence is become harder and harder to find. Even after the boy goes to bed, silence is hard to find at home. Especially when it is cooler and we can open the windows, the sounds are endless. My neighbor's dogs bark 24/7. People tend to mow and trim from about 7 a.m. until about 9 p.m. It seems more and more people have large diesel trucks with sound levels that rattle the windows.
My office is not a whole lot better. If you are ever in the church during the day, stand near my office and be still for a moment. Unless it is lunch hour and nap time for the childcare center kids, you will be surprised at the sound level. There is a small fan in my office which has nothing to do with circulation. The sound drowns out the other sounds when I am looking for something resembling silence. Our sanctuary is probably one of the quietest places I have found. However the peace is easily broken by a down shifting truck, a loud motorcycle or a police of fire siren.
Probably the quietest place I can find is in the cab of my truck. If I turn off my iPod... and my phone.
peace,
will
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2 comments:
I commend you for knowing that you need a certain amount of silence in your life to re-energize. It was much later in life that I stumbled onto that realization for myself. While it is easier to attain now that my children are grown and gone, it is still surprisingly challenging to place myself in a silent, peaceful setting for any extended length of time. Yet when I do put forth the effort to make it happen, I am utterly amazed at how restorative it is and I vow not to wait so long until the next time.
As you continue to set precedences in your work as a parent and full-time pastor, be sure to include and protect a measure of quiet time in your day or week. No one else can or will do that for you, because you alone set the standard for how important it is. But in doing so, you and those you love and shepherd will be better served over the course of time.
Peace be with you.
Very well said, Anonymous.
One of my favorite Bible verses is "Be Still!"
Sometimes when life gets too loud I have to silently yell this to myself and find that quiet place within.
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