Volume 117: Rest in Silence

Car horns honking in traffic. 

Kid stomping in the apartment above me. 

Baseball bats dinging as they hit the ball outside my office window. 

Distant murmurs of people talking. 
Background music in stores and restaurants. 

Test alarms ringing once a week. 

Our world is full of NOISE. 
Especially in the city of Houston, Texas...

Yet, in a small room, I have found silence. 

An escape from the world. 

An entrance into the gift of silence. 

Every morning on the way to work, I stop by the prayer chapel at St. Theresa's Catholic Church. A practice I saw so beautifully lived out by our faithful Unplugger, Elliott!

No, I'm not Catholic... 

Yes, I have felt insecure at times - not opening the doors to the tabernacle. Or not bowing as I enter and exit the building. 

But the minor moments of discomfort are far worth it. 

In this room, I have found a place of gathering.

While I come at the same time every morning, I see different people each time. 

It's a beautiful thing. 

Different ages.
Different races.
Different stages of life.
Different postures of prayer. 

Yet, all the same silence. And all the same God praying to. 

You can hear some talking as they walk up to the chapel, but as soon as they enter, they become silent.

No one talks. The space is sacred - reserved for prayer to our God who is worthy of reverence. 

I may never get to know these people and their stories, but I find great comfort in the unity of coming together, taking time out of our days, to prioritize prayer.

Sitting in the chapel, your main focus point is the crucifix - Jesus hanging on the cross. 

Jesus - our perfect Savior, who died a death He didn't deserve for us. 
Jesus - the sacrificial lamb, the ultimate Sacrifice. 
Jesus - the worthy one who deserves all praise and glory. 

And Jesus - the one who exemplified what it looked like to retreat into silence and pray to His Father in Heaven. 

In Mark 1: 35, we read, "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. "

If Jesus needed silence and prayer, so do we!

Distraction free. 
No music. 
No noise. 

In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (as we surely know by now - most impactful book on my life! and one I reference back to often.), John Mark Comer writes:

"In Luke's gospel in particular, you can chart Jesus's life along two axis points: the busier and more in demand and famous Jesus became, the more He withdrew to His quiet place to pray. 

Usually for us, it's the exact opposite. When we get overbusy and life is hectic and people are vying for our time, the quiet place is the first thing to go rather than our first go to."

May we be quick to prioritize silence and prayer. May our life be one that revolves around our time with God, not one where we try to squeeze Him in. 

John Mark also states, "The noise of the modern world makes us deaf to the voice of God, drowning out the one input we most need."

Man, I want to hear God! I want to practice the words of the Psalmist, "Be still and know that I am God."

May we deliberately place ourself in moments of silence, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it may be.

Acts 4:13 says, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they TOOK NOTE that these men had been with Jesus."

Took note. 

Peter and John were living out NOTEWORTHY lives. A life that others noticed as different. 

At the end of my time in the chapel each morning, I end my prayer with "O Holy Spirit, guide me today, that I may live out a noteworthy life, glorifying to you."  

A word of the year that is definitely shaping the way I approach each day!

Movie of the Month: The Unbreakable Boy - a Morgan kind of movie - made by the same group who produced Wonder and Jesus Revolution! A range from tears to laughter to the simple joy of kids. 

"Because every day can be the best day, every moment the best moment. You just have to be able to see it."

May I choose to see the good in each day! As it is all a gift from God!