Dec.08.03: Light For The Day -                          "Silence: A Quiet Time to Hear God's Voice" -- Psalm 46:10 (NIVUS) "Be still, and know that I am God;  I will be exalted among the nations,  I will be exalted in the earth." --------------- "God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grow in silence? The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give at our active life." -- Mother Teresa ---------------- In the busy rush of the modern world, you are constantly bombarded with noise. Your daily life is filled with the hum of machines and man-made technology - you swim in a sea of sound and distraction. The radio is on as you drive to work, or the television absorbs your attention when you come home tired from a busy day. You need to take time for silence, to get away for a quiet time with God and to listen to what He has to say to you. God wants to speak to you in the silence of your heart. When your days are too crowded to spend time with Him, His heart breaks. Remember Martha and Mary? Martha was concerned with the tasks of hospitality, busy doing things for Jesus. But Mary sat at Jesus' feet, drinking in His words, just being with Him. Like Martha, it's easy to feel that you are too busy to set aside time to be quiet with God. But Jesus told anxious Martha, "Mary has chosen the better part." Mary was honored for sitting at the feet of the Lord, listening to Him. You do not have to neglect the necessities of life to be silent before God. You can create a few minutes of quiet in the midst of a busy day. Five or ten minutes can refresh you and empower you to tackle the tasks of the day with more grace. The next time you are ironing, turn off the TV or radio and listen to the steady rhythm of the iron smoothing wrinkled fabric as an accompaniment to prayer and meditation. If you are washing dishes, be quiet before God. Retreat to a park or garden at lunch break for a few minutes of silence and contemplation. Drive to work or the store with the radio off. Create small moments of silence in your day, and you will discover that one need not make a weeklong retreat or travel to a majestic cathedral to enjoy the sweetness of quiet and peace. If you set aside a quiet time for prayer and meditation, you'll discover the good that God has in store for those who seek him. You'll also find that you won't have as much trouble keeping up with the responsibilities of life because you will be more rested and refreshed. You need time to gather your thoughts and sort out the priorities of the day. Your body needs quiet too. Constant noise not only wears you down mentally, it wears you down physically. The senses need time to be refreshed and renewed. The body needs quality times for rest and healing. Silence allows you to slow down, allowing your body to relax from the stress of daily distractions. If you do not take the time when you are well and have the choice, you will be forced to take the time through sickness or breakdown. Sometimes life is so busy that it is hard to find a silent time in the day. Parents of small children often wonder when they will get a moment of quiet between the demands of family and work. When the children are napping, set aside a few minutes to renew your spirit with rest before you go back to the tasks of the day. Listen to the silence in the middle of the night. Clear a space in your schedule for a longer silent time. Set aside a day for quiet reflection or a weekend for a silent retreat. Many churches and retreat centers offer structured opportunities for time of silence together with others. Plan for a weekend walk in the woods. Slip into a church for a few moments of silent prayer. Seek God in the sweet fragrant silence of a garden. Meditate in silence on your bed at night. God wants to renew your spirit. Silence is a nutrient for the spirit. Think of how you felt the last time you sat in a quiet church or cathedral, or spent moments in a garden or majestic forest, contemplating the silence. Allow silence to wrap around you like a soft protecting cloak, giving you room to breathe, time to think, and space for your spirit to expand. -- Checklist for Life -------------- -- Psalms 23:2,3 (NIVUS) "2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,  He leads me beside quiet waters, 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of  righteousness for His name’s sake." -- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NLT) "This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life,  minding your own business and working with your hands, ..." -- Habakkuk 2:20 (NIVUS) "But the LORD is in his holy temple;  let all the earth be silent before Him." -- Zechariah 2:13  "Be still before the LORD, all mankind,  because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling." -- Psalms 37:7  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; ....