In Stillness and Simplicity

My mother used to tell us when we were kids that we needed to be quieter, that being noisy and active made older folks nervous.  As a kid brimming with energy, I didn’t see what the problem was.  But now that I’ve passed the big 5-0, with five grandchildren (and another due in February), it’s very clear to me now.  There are days when all I want is QUIET.

One thing that sends my father over the edge these days is cars with those booming bass sound systems blaring as they drive past.  Now, I don’t envy those kids with the money to vibrate the ground…but I’m considering investing in a couple of hearing aid companies who will undoubtedly be caring for those kids a few years from now.  They have no idea what they are doing to damage their hearing.

Most of us have no idea how much noise we are living with on a daily basis. The refrigerator, the TV, the washer and dryer, the air conditioner, traffic going by.  We are just bombarded with NOISE.  If you don’t believe me, just wait until the next power outage.

Now, through all this din or background noise, how are we to have any clue what God wants us to do? The Bible says He speaks to us in a “still, small voice.”  How can He compete with the hubbub with which we’ve surrounded ourselves and get our attention? The problem for so many in our world is not that He isn’t speaking to us, it’s that we can’t hear what He’s saying.

One of my favorite Michael Card songs is one that never got a lot of air time on the Christian radio stations. It’s a simple song with a simple melody…and in the middle is the most burning of questions. Here are the lyrics:

In stillness and simplicity
In the silence of the heart I see
The mystery of eternity
Who lives in side of me

In stillness and simplicity
I hear the Spirit’s silent plea
That You, oh Lord, are close to me
In stillness and simplicity

You’re the Word Who must be heard
By those who listen quietly
Is the reason we’re not still
To hear You speak because we don’t believe You will?

In stillness and simplicity
I lose myself in finding Thee
Oh Lord, You mean so much to me
In stillness and simplicity

So, seek the One who dwells in you
The kingdom that’s within is true
That innermost reality
In stillness and simplicity

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