By AbbyA

JMathis and Bindu are talking about all the noise in our lives.  More often than not, it is “good” noise that we are flooding ourselves with.  Do you know what JMathis was watching before she wrote Monday’s blog on worshipping television?  She was watching the very intense, survival interview of Jaycee Dugard.  Good story.  On Tuesday, Bindu talked, in part, about using technology to wind down, get her mind off life.  This is “good” noise, right?  In our fast paced lives, what really is “good” is a hard question.

My little boy asked me, “Mom, why do we have to go to church today?”  I said, “because God blesses us all week long and we have just one day for just a few hours that He asks us to come to His house to worship Him.”   He is a very easy-going, laid back child, so he didn’t say much back, but I could tell he was not really convinced.  I got somewhat fired up and said, “QK, if you want God to keep blessing your mind so you can keep getting good grades and, if you want God to continue giving you favor in your endeavors, you have got to give Him this day.”  QK was convinced; we have the kind of relationship where he trusts me on such things.  He changed his attitude and off we went.

Since we have been home from vacation (two weeks), I have “forgotten” my phone 2-3 times on the way out for the day.  Although I truly forgot the thing, when I remembered, I felt the Holy Spirit tugging on me.  “AbbyA, you left it at home because I planned it that way.  Lay off the emails, texts and internet so I can plant more important things in you.  Even if that means silence.”  I changed my impatient attitude and off I went.

My downfall isn’t tv, but it is my severe tendency to be on several missions all at the same time.  I am so severe in this multi-tasking mindset that I don’t hear anything around me at all.  It all comes to a halt, however, when I push so hard that I find myself physically dizzy.  So, I ask myself, instead of my boy, “Do I want God to keep blessing me, giving me favor in my endeavors, giving me health and a sound mind?”  What really is good for me in my Savior’s eyes? 

As our Body-Mind-Spirit Challenge continues, ask God what really is good for you.  It may be that He has a night of relaxing tv in store for you.  It may be that you are so reliant on your night-time tv routine that you don’t even hear your Lord saying hello, checking in on your day, telling you He loves you.  Maybe you are not a tv addict, but you are so busy with multi-tasking that you are physically dizzy from it all.  If you can get un-plugged, it may be that He has perfect silence planned for you.  And, in that silence, while you may not hear His voice, you may just feel His presence.  I don’t know exactly what He has in store  for you, but I do know that, if you are willing to turn off even the “good” noise, it will be better than you imagined and more than you hoped for.  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.  1 Corinthians 2:9.  Go with that, it will be worth it.