Good Morning,
Cathy Friberg is a member of our "monthly writing staff." She writes at the start of every month. This writing is for the month of November...though posted a day early. Cathy's writing is entitled "COME AWAY WITH ME." On a vacation to Hawaii Cathy noted the noise that was everywhere. The theme of her writing is the importance of finding quiet time, and the best way to spend this time is to be with God in prayer. Cathy wrote, "What can we do, in the midst of a culture which constantly emits so much audible chaos? I imahat can we do, in the midst of a culture which constantly emits so much audible chaos? I imagine that we must make a conscious effort to come apart and seek out our Master. Jesus withdrew from the crowds to times of solitude and prayer."
Have a quiet Monday...oops hard to do when the door bell keeps ringing...LOL.
God bless
Corinne and Cathy
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November Writing
Come Away with Me
My husband and I recently returned from a vacation in Honolulu Hawaii. It was a blessing which I am very grateful for, especially since we were able to share the experience with our children and grandchildren. The weather was great and the scenery so lovely. It was our granddaughters' first visit to the islands, so that made the trip even more special!
However, who could find something to complain about concerning a Hawaiian holiday? .......who else, but me. The thing is, that Honolulu has changed over the last few years. The city has undergone a face lift, a wonderful physical transformation. But with the magnificent makeover has come a huge increase in the number of tourists! The sidewalks are packed with visitors. The downtown streets teem with cars, buses, motor scooters, taxis, and trolleys. On our trip, everyone on the roads were in a hurry and driving without caution, to say the least. I could have endured the people and the traffic, however, the noise in the city had me in a tizzy. Honking cars, fire trucks, ambulances, police sirens, and noisy motors were overwhelming. It was difficult if not impossible to hear the conversation or instructions of my travel buddies as we walked along. On two occasions we tried to arrange for an Uber pickup (yes, Uber has come to Oahu!) and my husband and I literally could not hear one another to work it all out. I found myself getting irritable and discouraged and then wondered how I could be such a "downer" on this lovely trip.
The experience got me to thinking about the whole subject of noise in our modern society. I find myself rankled in my home town too. In so many of the retail stores, rocky music blares as you try to shop. It's difficult to think or make a decision with such a cacophony of noise in the air. Just try to communicate with the clerk behind the deli counter at the supermarket. You find yourself competing with the music in the background.
And what about Sunday Church service? Oh for the days when the musicians kept the sound below 100 decibels! One could actually concentrate on the words of the hymns and worship the Lord with reverence and tranquility. I got to thinking that I must really be getting old, but then I looked up some articles on noise pollution. Evidently I'm not alone in my distress over the matter. Unwanted noise is actually detrimental to our physical, emotional, and psychological well being. It can cause anger, irritability, insomnia, and interfere with communication, productivity at work and even re-productivity! There are many organizations now dedicated to educating people about the problem and to trying to find solutions.
The main thought that came to me concerning the issue, is that this noise can interfere with our relationship with the Lord. It is difficult to pray without ceasing and to keep our minds stayed on Jesus when we are bombarded with noise. It is a challenge to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit when the clamor of the world is stealing our attention.
What can we do, in the midst of a culture which constantly emits so much audible chaos? I imagine that we must make a conscious effort to come apart and seek out our Master. Jesus withdrew from the crowds to times of solitude and prayer. We can follow His example and get alone with the Father. We can get up early or slip away whenever possible to shut ourselves in with our Bible and some soft sweet music. A rendezvous with the Lord in our home's garden or any place in nature can be a haven of restoration for our souls. Walks by the seashore or along a forest trail can offer times of fellowship with our Maker.
"He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul."
Psalm 23: 2-3
"Come unto me, all you who who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength."
Isaiah 30:15
With conscious effort and a little planning we can compensate for our clamorous culture and find solace, peace, and strength in the company of God alone. We can retreat to times of quiet and communion with our Savior, the lover of our souls. As we build ourselves up in our most Holy Faith, we can become salt and light in a tumultuous noisy world.
By Cathy Friberg
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Prayers are lifted up daily for
you by the Devotional Writers
and the Monthly Writing Staff
of Women's Focus Ministries.
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