Shhhh

This week at the beginning of our worship, we engaged in a full minute of silence – a FULL minute! Gracious!

It was interestingly reflective. As we began there was deliberate quiet in the sanctuary. But apparently those outside did not get the silence message. There was chatting and laughter and footsteps intruding into the deliberate quiet. Accepting peace, focusing on the space between, required intentional focus. And then…the external noise faded and stopped. Silence prevailed.

A number of years ago, actually a large number of years ago, a team of students and I worked with a local children’s hospital on a computerized tool to help diagnose attention deficit hyperactive disorder. The premise was to assign a task, and then keep introducing distractions of all different kinds.

We have introduced all kinds of distractions in our living to the point where focus is difficult and we flit denying ourselves the depth we crave. It is difficult today to find silence, and I don’t just mean lack of sound. Sensory overload is the norm that imperils even our sleep.

We need to excuse our distractions, sending some of them away for the moments and minutes of silence, and some permanently.

Lord, help us remember who we are. Let us desire and seek to hear Your voice.