Tuesday, October 16, 2007

the trash truck

There is a trash truck that drives around in my brain. You have one too. It is really noisy and every now and then it stops and dumps some dumb thing out for me to think about.

I used to think that thinking is good. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Such thoughts as that.

Well, thinking is good, but too much to think about is not good. Too much worry, too much noise, too much rubbish in our brain. When we get too busy, when we are wound up too tight, we are robbed of solitude. We are robbed of prayer.

The evil that seeks to distract you from your purpose does not need to have you join a cult, all it needs to do is to get you so busy that you can no longer pray.

The four stages of prayer:

1. I talk, God listens.
2. God talks, I listen.
3. Neither talk, both listen.
4. Neither listen, silence.

To really find the presence of God, we have to stop talking. We have to stop worrying. We have to find the place where we are silent before him.

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

The trash truck has to stop running. Stop the wheels, stop the noise, stop talking. Listen quietly, then be silent. Just rest in his presence. This is not easy, but it is beautiful. I keep working on it.

Its a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Jeff,
I ready your blog daily but typically don't comment. My son, Isaac, (one of triplets) is *obsessed* with trash and trash trucks.... so I feel the need to comment.

Thank you for keeping this blog and remind us of what is important. I get so much out of reading it.

Take care,
Kara