In the Silence

This morning I went for a drive. I love driving. I love road trips. Spending time in the car is always good for my soul. My typical road trip involves listening to several podcasts as well as some audio books. On my last long road trip I listened to 3 books!

It is rare that I drive anywhere without some sort of music or audio coming out of the speakers. Soot, even sitting in my office I have music on in the background. My wife thinks I am strange for having music on while I write or study. It’s something that she cannot do because she finds herself singing along or following along with the story too much to finish what she is working on.

My drive this morning was silent. Not by choice, mind you. I turned on an audio stream and waited for it to load - then I got lost in thought and prayer. Next thing I know, I’ve gone the entire drive without noise, but I felt refreshed. I didn’t plan it, but I needed the silence. I needed to tune my heart to what God was speaking. God knew I needed it, and He made it happen.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus would step away from the hustle and bustle of teach and healing in order to connect with the Father. This is something that many people attempt to emulate in their ministries, but it has never been something that I am good at. I think I need to try the practice of silence more.

When I first started in ministry I would spend countless hours in the office. I was coming out of the military and being physically present was a must. This carried over into everything that I did. One afternoon I decided to take the things I was working on and head down to the water, where I would simply sit and enjoy the waves crashing in while I worked. To my amazement, I got more accomplished during that time than I had all week. Just enjoying God in His creation opened my heart and soul to what He was leading me to.

Where do you connect with the Lord the most?