The Power of Silence

I'm sorry for being absent. The holidays have train-wrecked my blog-posting momentum--the past 10 days have been an absolute blur! Our kids received more toys than they knew what to do with this year. They were flooded with gifts from every side of the family. In fact, Mikaela grew so tired of opening all her presents that she asked Alexa to give her some help! One of their favorites was a karyoke machine...we've been doing the YMCA and singing "Achey Breaky Heart" all week long!

I've been hit by the "yellow-green monster" the past few days--a bad sinus infection has caused me to lose my voice. Being unable to talk is a preacher's worst nightmare! However, Rachel seems to be enjoying the silence. It's kind of cool, but my life is significantly different when my mouth is shut. When I'm quiet, I have a greater awareness of the presence of God and what is going on around me. Maybe that is why the Father told us, "Be still and know that I am God." We miss so much when we constantly run our mouths.

I'm reminded of the story about the little boy who received a brand new watch for Christmas. With all his neighborhood friends playing football outside in the snow, he wanted to show them his watch and join in the game. His father warned him of the possibility of losing his new gift and recommended he play without it. But with a reassuring smile and a nod of his head, the little boy bolted out the door. It wasn't long before the boy looked down at his wrist in between plays and noticed that his watch was gone. In a panic, he yelled at his friends to stop the game. The boys canvased the field, digging through the snow without any luck. After 30 minutes of frenzied searching, the boy sat helplessly in the snow with his face in his hands. He knew his mistake--he should have listened to his dad. With his friends now gone, and nothing but silence to remind him of his loss, he heard a ticking noise close by! He followed the noise to discover his watch, buried beneath an overlooked patch of snow!

When we settle our spirits and get quiet on the inside, we find exactly what our hearts are looking for--an intimate relationship with the God who loves us!