And silence hung in the air

Well, the school year has finally begun. Homework is assigned to elementary and college kids alike, and the regular routine of "get-up-and-go" has made itself present.

But there is danger when we are so busy. We try running this race with obstacles surrounding us. Eventually we trip and fall.

How great it is to know that He will help us up when we fall down.


"The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg mentions the need for solitude, especially when we live in this busy world. We always have such busy schedules, yet we claim to follow Jesus Christ. How can we follow our leader if we move faster than Him? The analogy of a motorboat and a sailboat are compared, as we learn about spiritual transformation. Motorboat: We're in control. Sailboat: The wind is. "If the wind doesn't blow - and sometimes it doesn't - we sit still in the water no matter how frantic we get."

Do you sometimes feel like you're not getting anywhere? It almost seems as if you are no longer learning anything from God. Or are we running ahead of our leader?

We have to learn to slow down.

To find a place of solitude where silence hangs in the air.

And maybe, just maybe, God will whisper to us through that silence.

Yet we so often run from God in the sense that we fill our lives with busy schedules.


The sad thing is, sometimes we don't even realize it.


Our culture is so dependant on time. The bell rings, so we rush off to our next class. We make plans to go to the movies at eight o'clock. Supper is always around six, or perhaps even later in the evening. Our lives are filled with noise: music, computers, internet, homework, and much more.

Why don't we make time for hanging out with our best friend? The One who sent His one and only Son to die for us. Sure, we can be with Him even when we're with our other friends too, but sometimes in order to hear Him speak, we have to find a place of solitude and listen.


Ortberg continues to explain how Francis de Sales compares a clock to our need for extended solitude: "There is no clock, no matter how good it may be, that doesn't need resetting and rewinding twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. In addition, at least once a year it must be taken apart to remove the dirt clogging it, straighten out bent parts, and repair those worn out. In like manner, every morning and evening a man who really takes care of his heart must rewind it for God's service . . . Moreover, he must often reflect on his condition in order to reform and improve it. Finally, at least once a year he must take it apart and examine every piece in detail, that is every affection and passion, in order to repair whatever defects there may be."

I thoroughly enjoy this analogy. But I would also like to expand on it. I have a clock that doesn't work very well. Within a week, it somehow manages to be hours ahead of the time it really is. Still, I plug the cord into the wall and what happens? Lightning storm; the power shuts off. And in the morning, the alarm doesn't sound. If God is our strength - our "power" - and we are disconnected to him (usually because of the storms of life), how can we "go off" for Him as an alarm clock would sound for the sleeping person?

We must stay connected to our God. When the power seemingly does go off, God can turn us back on. Just as an alarm clock serves it's purpose, so should we stay connected to our power source.