Quieting Our Hearts So We Can Hear His

Our first snow. Its beauty almost took our breath away. As I snuck away early in the morning, before the perfect blanket of powder was compromised by tire marks, snow boots, sledding runs, and the sun's rays that would surely melt away the big pillows resting on the tree branches, I was struck by how incredibly quiet it was. The snow not only brought beauty but complete silence and stillness. It caused everything to pause.

This Florida girl was so giddy as the snow began to fall the day before. We couldn't get our phones out fast enough to document what we had NEVER experienced and share with friends and family. With inflatable pools and boogie boards, these Floridians braved the 8 inches of fun and soaked up as many hours as we could out in the snow. And then, days later, it was gone. And we missed it. 

The first snow fall of our first winter here in the mountains will forever be etched in my heart. It came with great anticipation, and it gave me more than just a snapshot of beauty. It gave me a real stillness that my soul needed after months and months of painful busyness.

​Everything stops. Everything goes quiet. Everything has to wait when the snow falls. And as I reflect back on that stillness, I realize that God wants our hearts to have this same stillness. He wants to be able to speak to us in our quiet moments. 

God's voice can be as still and quiet as the freshly fallen snow. We must quiet our hearts so we may hear from Him.

Finding quiet and stillness within our busy days can be a challenge, especially when we have needs of little ones to meet moment by moment, but if we earnestly desire to hear from Him, we must make time to quiet our hearts.

In each season, it may look a little different. Some days, you may be able to rise early. Some days, you may catch a few moments during nap time. Other days it may be a song on repeat that you sing over and over to the Lord. Lately, for me, it's been a combination of all 3.

If you don't know where to start...Pause. Just for a moment. Ask to hear from Him. It may be word, a thought, a verse, or a person He brings to mind. It may be a conviction we must seek forgiveness for. It could also just be silence, resting in His presence, knowing He is near.