Turning Off the White Noise
Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul. Psalm 131:2 (NKJV)
Noises heard at night can be rather unsettling. That is one of the main reasons I use a noise machine and I am also thankful that Michael is a little hard of hearing. He doesn’t hear my machine and I don’t hear critters outside. Eryn Lynum (All God’s Creatures) shares her experience with night noise.
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I was a few fading, scattered thoughts away from slipping into sleep. But that call—the eerie yet respectable echo of his voice—beckoned me to the window. Staring out into the black night, I reached down to turn off the fan my husband and I keep on for the white noise. Standing in the silence, I heard the call resound again, and my ears told my eyes the general vicinity in which to look. The bright moon assisted my search. My eyes adjusting, I made out the form of a massive great horned owl perched on top of our neighbor’s house. Alone in the quiet, I could make out each octave of the owl’s night song.
From our second-story window, I could see the city lights that punctuated the black night. Traffic signals played green-yellow-red patterns at intersections. Cars streaked the highway with beams of headlights. Even at this hour, the world bustled. If I was to be honest with myself, the world felt busy every hour. I wondered what might happen if, as I did with the fan, I shut off the white noise. In Psalm 131, before King David “calms and quiets” his soul, I see him first tuning out all that might muffle God’s voice. “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor things to profound for me” (Psalm 131:1, NKJV).
How often, before I can focus on the blessings and plans God has for me, I have to first tune out the white noise of distractions. Things that inflate me with pride or tear away my gaze from God’s best. Bidding the owl good night, I climbed back into bed. My mind quiet and my soul composed—my focus as crisp and clear as the owl’s call.
Walk of Faith: Take twenty minutes to sit quietly without music or distractions. Pray through Psalm 131, asking God to free you from specific distractions, quiet your soul, and help you refocus on His goodness. —Eryn Lynum
Heavenly Father, thank You for ears to hear. Now, teach us to tune out all the interruptions of the world and learn to focus only on Your voice. AMEN.