We live in a noisy world. This is not "new information" I realize. However, I am lately more and more aware of how clamorous our world has become.
Was it always like this and I have, perhaps, only become more sensitive to it of late? I doubt it.
I recall afternoons walking along tree shaded sidewalks, listening to the birds chirp; occasionally the hum of a bee would make its way into my consciousness. It was a serene experience; one which I savored.
Try finding a quiet sidewalk these days. Horns honk, people shout at one another. We go into a restaurant to enjoy a bite to eat, and conversation is pretty much drowned out by the various TV screens all around the place. And, no, this is not a sports bar, but a family restaurant that we formerly enjoyed in peace.
Management only installed the TVs last year. Why, I do not know, given that every second person in the place is busy texting, tweeting, or watching something on the tiny screens with which they are so engrossed.
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How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word. Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor ...
Psalm 94: 12-13 (MSG)
God gave us the gift of hearing as one of the five wonderful senses through which we experience the world. Who would want to miss a baby's chuckling laugh? A Beethoven symphony? Or a snappy jazz riff, for that matter? Personally, I like the sound of a good solid thwack when Buster Posey hits another home run.
In my corporate days we actually paid a service to provide "white noise" throughout our offices; a kind of muffled sushing sound that swept perpetually through the hallways and cubicles, the conference rooms and executive suites. This was in addition to the "elevator music" piped ubiquitously throughout. The music and white noise were a subliminal duet meant to soothe our pressured psyches, I suppose.
Heaven forbid we should actually have silence.
I love the fact that God is willing to provide us with a circle of quiet amid the raucous, jolting, cacophony of today's society. A quiet place in which to reflect, meditate, pray, or just think a thought or two.
A circle of quiet ... it reminds me of an old song we used to sing once in awhile. I do not recall the author, but it went something like -
There's a place, filled with grace
I can see my Savior's face,
Within the circle of his love.
There I find,
Peace of mind,
I'm so happy all the time
Within the circle of his love.
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Hope you have a fine moment or two today within a "circle of quiet" with Him. Until next time ~ Marsha
Let me tell you, life got a lot quieter when we moved to the mountains three years ago. Most of the time it's really nice. But, there are times when it's a little too quiet for my taste. Not the silence of the beautiful woods we live in, but in the solitude and isolation from other people. I suppose life should be a healthy mix of time with others and time alone.
ReplyDeleteI find that my challenge is to hear God's voice when a thousand other thoughts strive to invade my *circle of quiet*...
And that is a challenge no matter where I am!
GOD BLESS!
Sharon - so true, it is hard to concentrate on what God is telling us - whether we are in a
Deletecrowd or alone. :) But we will keep working on it.
It's LOUDER.
ReplyDeleteI find it important to have a "circle of quiet". My house is quiet, no music (most of the time). I love to hear the ceiling fan or the heater come on. It's my white noise.
The other day we went out to eat (a rare occasion) and there was an older lady on her phone.
The phone was on "speaker" and she had it up to her ear! We all heard her whole conversation!
Thankfully it wasn't a long conversation.
Again, I love the way you write and it's always a pleasure to read your posts.
Christine - Thank you so much. I always appreciate your comments, too. Have a good weekend.
DeleteI love being quiet or as your quote says being in a circle of quiet. We don't have music or TV on during the day. I find it hard to adjust to the loudness of the movie theatre these days and yet at home I find the TV hard to hear and I have to turn up the volume more than I should. TV's in restaurants is the pits. When we were in Tokyo, mobile phones weren't allowed to be used in the restaurant. I love listening to the sounds of the forest and especially the sound of waves rolling onto the beach.
ReplyDeleteDiane, yep - I find that to be true also, the movies are too loud, but the TV is often louder than I would like, but if we turn it down too much neither one of us can hear what they are saying. Yeesh ! The LOC uses the "captions on" which gives the dialogue on the screen much of the time, but I find that annoying. :) Clearly, I would rather just have the quiet.
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