Noise

You have to picture this: A coffee shop filled with people – I mean, lots of people. Every table is full. The line up is huge at the counter where you order your coffee and food. I am not sure where everyone is going to sit (I am not giving up my seat, I know that). This is where I find myself in this moment.

There are people of all ages. The table beside me has two couples, and they seem to be retired and have time to meet in the coffee shop. I get up at one point and almost knock their little number down as I brush by the table: “Oops, sorry about that.” The older dude gives me one of those looks that could kill. Imagine if it was his food I almost knocked off the table.

As I sit here I am blown away by the amount of noise: plates crashing on the floor (I think she might get fired for that one), machines making specialty coffee. There is a lot of laughter, and yes, a lot of conversation.

At every table there is conversation going on, but there is so much noise you cannot really distinguish voices. It’s strange if you ask me… all these voices and conversations and I cannot pick out one word (okay, maybe I can hear the table beside me talking about hockey, but nothing else).

All these conversations and so much noise I can’t hear individual voices. It’s weird!

One thing I am convinced of is that God is trying to have a conversation with each and every one of us. It might not be audible, but he wants to have time with us about the things that matter. About the struggles, the pain, and the celebrations.

The problem is that there is too much noise in our lives we can’t hear him. Can God rise above that noise and get our attention? Absolutely, but maybe he would prefer us to reduce the noise level of life so we can hear him more clearly.

When was the last time you shut the phone off?

When was the last time you shut the television off?

When was the last time you ignored the endless steam of Facebook messages?

…Or email (one just came in)

…okay, I’m back.

Maybe we need to refuse to accept that this is just the way it is, and reduce the noise so we can hear what God is trying to say to us.

Just Sayin!