I’m writing this on an incredibly silent morning. My husband and my dog are both still asleep. My parakeet isn’t even chirping in my ear. There have been no cars racing down the street. I’ve heard no airplanes overhead, nor trains on the tracks. Whatever small sounds there might be are lost because I have not yet put in my hearing aids. I’ve been sitting here staring out the sliding glass door for more than an hour. It has been a refreshing hour of peace and silence from the turmoil that we have experienced over the past weeks and months. We all need quiet. We all need to silence the noise.
There are many things to care about in the world. As time marches forward toward the Second Coming, there will be more turmoil and grief than we have ever known. We will be put in awkward and even dangerous situations. We will have to stand alone in a world of angry chaos. We will often be the lone voice of reason in a room of angry people. Our ethics, trustworthiness, and honesty will be tried on a daily, if not hourly, basis. It will seem as if ours is the lone voice of reason in a world of turmoil. Sometimes the only way to keep our integrity in tact will be to silence the noise.
Silencing the noise of the world may seem like a daunting task at times. It has been difficult for me the last few weeks. It takes real effort. It takes a plan. There may even have to be adjustments to the original plan, but it’s worth it. Amidst the chaos, you can find peace.
Silencing the noise happens when you watch cloud formations. It happens when you stare at the leaves blowing in the wind. It happens when you zone out staring down a squirrel in the backyard. It happens when you enjoy any of the natural beauty of the earth that was created especially for you. It happens when you pray.
As a child, I was an early riser. I remember often zoning out on nature. I loved to watch the sunrise. I loved watching the sun glistening on the dew on the grass. I loved to listen to the meadow larks. I totally zoned out when watching frost on the window, or water dripping from icicles. I’ve moved to a warmer climate now where icicles are nonexistent and frost on the window is a rare occurrence, but roses bloom eleven months of the year. We will get our first rain of the season today or tomorrow. I’m looking forward to watching the rain while wrapped in my favorite quilt and sipping a cup of hot raspberry lemonade or hot chocolate. Even in the chaos of these times, there are many ways to silence the noise.
I don’t want to give the impression that we should bury our heads in the sand and ignore what is happening in the world. Obviously we need to be a voice of reason in the world. We need to care about community issues, national issues, and global issues. The Lord needs us to participate in the world and be His voice—even when it seems like no one wants to hear Him. However, we can’t spread His message if we are so burned out that we can no longer hear Him ourselves. It is not only important to our own sanity to silence the noise; it is important to His work.
To read more of Tudie’s articles, click here.
We are all different, and silencing the noise might look different for you than for me. Maybe for you, that looks like a hike in the mountains or a walk on the beach. I like those things, too, but it’s getting harder for me these days. Listening to quiet music while sitting in my recliner seems to be more my speed lately. Maybe you like to snow ski, water ski, surf on the big waves, or ride in a hot air balloon. Maybe you silence the noise by crafting, knitting, crocheting, or embroidery. Maybe the sound of a power saw as you build furniture silences the noise for you. Maybe it’s a game of solitaire or working on a jigsaw puzzle.
I invite you to actively seek ways to silence the noise in your life. It is important to back away from the world and refill our lamps with oil and our cups with living water. Heavenly Father has given us great responsibility in these times—but He has also provided ways for us to silence the noise so we can reboot. Take advantage of the thousands of ways He has given us to keep our sanity, look within ourselves, and revitalize our spirits. We are needed in these last days, and He has provided the way. All we have to do is to silence the noise of the world and find peace.
Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.
Twitter •
