Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the
nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)
When I
was a young girl, I loved pulling the string on the back of my Chatty Cathy
doll to hear her talk. And boy could she talk. I was probably a little chatty
myself when I played with her.
In our
chaotic, raucous society, solitude and silence beg to be found. So many voices
vie for our attention from our cell phone pop ups, our computers, TVs, and just
people in general. If we’re honest, even our own voices contribute to noise
influx.
It's been observed that God gave us one mouth and two
ears, so we ought to listen more than we speak, right? How do we discern when
to speak or be silent? On our own, I think this is mighty tricky. But when we
immerse ourselves in scripture and seek God’s counsel, the Holy Spirit guides
us.
When we’re not speaking, we will be more inclined to
listen—to others and to God. It’s much easier to lean toward obedience to God
in moments of silence.
When Jesus began his Galilean ministry, He was on a
pack filled circuit, but even so, we read that He sought silence and solitude
to spend time with His Father in Mark 1:35. Without personal quiet time and
prayer time, we may struggle to really know God and who He created us to be. If
we don’t place boundaries with outside stimuli, we may not “hear” what God
wants to teach us.
We will always talk, and we can be thankful for the
gift of speech. But are you okay for your pet parrot to squawk about to others
what he hears you say? There are times to be silent, especially when it comes
to gossiping. No talking, please!
Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The Country Register, and Christian Devotions Ministry. Her children’s picture books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. She and her husband make their home close to Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting, power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her grandchildren.
Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true
story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard
the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the
Greatest Generation and enjoys speaking to high school classes about
patriotism.
A member of ACFW, Allauthor, and Pikes Peak Writers, Becky
has devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing
family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs. You can find
her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com.
She would love to hear from you, especially if you have a family story to share!
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