What a beautiful summer day! After a series in the high 90’s and low hundreds, The temp dropped into the 80s and the humidity to tolerable. I took my book outside, closed my eyes to listen to the birds for a minute, and got an earful of swear words I won’t repeat here.
I decided to sit it out. Obviously, my neighbors were having a bad day, but surely this tantrum couldn’t last long. I was right. Soon, they solved the problem of hitching and loading the boat. No one got hurt, and they pulled out. Whew! Quiet, at last.
…VVvvvrrroooommmmm put put put put. The mower whipped out of the garage followed by a cloud of black smoke and sputtered its way down the boulevard with my neighbor in the driver’s seat. I love Jesus, but I don’t like all that racket! I wanted to yell, “Hey! Keep it down over there! I’m trying to read here…,” but I decided to go inside and salvage a little reading time by shutting out disruptions with insulation and air conditioning. I’d only be yelling at smoke anyway.
Sometimes, trying to find the quiet and solitude to love on God is hard, too. So many disruptions distract me from fellowship with him. Yet, not all moments when I try to pray are peaceful moments. The important thing is that I am going to God in prayer.
One of my favorite verses of the Bible is Psalm 46:10, in which the Lord declares, “...’Be Still, and know that I am God…” There’s a lot going on in this Psalm, but essentially, the Psalm declares that even when a mighty battle is raging and despite all of the noise of the world happening, God is right there in the moments of stillness when we call out to him and pray.
I admit to feeling a little frustration at the noise of my neighbors, but I also recognize feelings of frustration and discord.Taking a moment as I walked inside, I prayed on them and thanked the Lord for the blessings I received today.
Let me share the little prayer for I put up for my neighbors…just in case noisemakers on your block start in on your quiet, too:
God, thank you for being present even in the noise surrounding me today. Remind me to be still and to know you are listening through the noise–whether physical, mental, or emotional. Show loving kindness towards my neighbors today and help them through their troubles. I praise the glory of your presence in their lives and mine. In Jesus name, Amen.
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