When was the last time everything around you was quiet . . . as in silent? In a rare moment recently, my house was quiet. I chose to sit and carefully observe the room I was in—a number of emotions flooded my soul. My daughter’s art supplies rested by her canvas along with her iPod, Netbook, and jacket. I thought of our past and recognized that I hadn’t shown her enough grace. I felt impressed that I needed to ask her for forgiveness.
My older son’s shoes rested by the back door because he is responsible for feeding the dogs and cleaning up after them. I had focused on his “being responsible,” but I hadn’t told him in a long time that I appreciated him. I saw my husband’s lunch bag, and it reminded me of his consistent work and provision. I noticed my younger son’s tattered backpack, which represented how hard he worked—in spite of all his disabilities he presses on through the challenges most of us cannot imagine. Finally, my stepson’s iPod reminded me how he reaches into my world with music we both enjoy.
20/20 Vision on What You Value
Silence allows things to surface that we often would rather avoid. The quiet voice of God seems to stir our souls; things of eternal importance come into greater focus, exposing what we really value. I felt convicted that day . . . how often I valued a clean house or trying to control life rather than valuing the character and development of my children. My family ought to be hearing words of grace, forgiveness, love, affirmation, gentleness, mercy, and tenderness more than correction and reproof.
Let Me Hear from You
Have you taken time recently to slow down and sit in silence? Is the thought of silence uncomfortable to you? This next week, take some time to be silent, still, uninterrupted, and see what comes to the surface. What are you focused on . . . rather, what does your time reveal about your focus and values? Ponder the lyrics below and ask yourself if your focus is on the temporal or eternal, and I’ll do the same. I would love to hear your thoughts in the coming week.
Cause there’s so much good in the worst of us
So much bad in the best of us
It never makes sense for any of us
To criticize the rest of us
We’ll just find what we’re looking for
We’ll find it and so much more.[ref]Amy Grant, “Find What You’re Looking For,” in Somewhere Down the Road (Brentwood, Tenn.: Sparrow Records, 2010)[/ref]
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