Listen to the trees...
I was walking around Bethel College's campus late Wednesday night. As I walked down the west side of campus, alongside Logan Drive, I found my attention stolen by something very ordinary on a night such as it was. Through all of the traffic on the road that night, the roaring engines, the screeching tires, and the sirens, my attention followed a mere whisper...
As I stood there dumbfounded on the sidewalk on Logan, I looked deep into the campus I'd walked plenty of times before. I veered off the sidewalk; walked past the helm; walked past the AC; and I found a seat on a bench as close to the center of campus as I could figure. As I sat there in the brisk wind, my attention was drawn upwards, following the whisper that had grown to a low rumble...
The whisper, the rumble...it came from the trees. The trees whipping in the wind that night brought the reality of my world to the center of my attention.
Have you ever realized that when a person needs to concentrate, he quiets down his surroundings? When a driver is looking for an exit on the highway, or a specific house, he turns the music off. When a student is studying for a midterm, she finds a quiet spot in the library or lounge, away from her friends. This quiet arena gives way to a focus that cannot be achieved every moment of every day.
Have you ever had to quiet down your surroundings while outside? What did you notice? I've noticed that despite how quiet things may get, the trees never stop their bustling. The leaves never stop their whispering. I noticed further on Wednesday night that no matter how hard the wind blows, the leaves never yell or scream. They can get no louder than a whisper. They are awful polite, those leaves...but they never stop talking.
This thought confronted my life because I feel that God is always whispering to me, and I seldom get away from the highway to give him a listen. You see, the trees in the center of campus bustled no louder than those at Logan Drive, but I was tuned in to them. And though God will raise his voice to get my attention, He's also very polite, and He'll wait for me to "tune in."
So what am I saying? I don't know. For me, I just need to make my quiet time exactly that, quiet. Away from friends...away from distraction...away from the highway. And my advice to you?
Listen to the trees...
His,
Bobby
As I stood there dumbfounded on the sidewalk on Logan, I looked deep into the campus I'd walked plenty of times before. I veered off the sidewalk; walked past the helm; walked past the AC; and I found a seat on a bench as close to the center of campus as I could figure. As I sat there in the brisk wind, my attention was drawn upwards, following the whisper that had grown to a low rumble...
The whisper, the rumble...it came from the trees. The trees whipping in the wind that night brought the reality of my world to the center of my attention.
Have you ever realized that when a person needs to concentrate, he quiets down his surroundings? When a driver is looking for an exit on the highway, or a specific house, he turns the music off. When a student is studying for a midterm, she finds a quiet spot in the library or lounge, away from her friends. This quiet arena gives way to a focus that cannot be achieved every moment of every day.
Have you ever had to quiet down your surroundings while outside? What did you notice? I've noticed that despite how quiet things may get, the trees never stop their bustling. The leaves never stop their whispering. I noticed further on Wednesday night that no matter how hard the wind blows, the leaves never yell or scream. They can get no louder than a whisper. They are awful polite, those leaves...but they never stop talking.
This thought confronted my life because I feel that God is always whispering to me, and I seldom get away from the highway to give him a listen. You see, the trees in the center of campus bustled no louder than those at Logan Drive, but I was tuned in to them. And though God will raise his voice to get my attention, He's also very polite, and He'll wait for me to "tune in."
So what am I saying? I don't know. For me, I just need to make my quiet time exactly that, quiet. Away from friends...away from distraction...away from the highway. And my advice to you?
Listen to the trees...His,
Bobby
posted by Bobby at 7:47 AM
2 Comments:
Great thoughts! Thanks for sharing. It is always challenging for me to stop and listen. I needed the reminder. Thank you.
i like this bobby...i've had to sit n listen to trees many a time...thanks God:)
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