The Space Between the Notes

In music, it is said that the space between the notes is just as important as the notes themselves.

Why? Because a good musician can play precisely, and each note can be heard without blending into the next. This precise skill is what makes a piece of music feel polished and beautiful.

As a culture, we are fairly uncomfortable with silence. In radio or TV production, silence is the worst thing you can do.

Many of us carry that to the way we act in our daily lives. From the first second upon waking, we turn on the TV or radio...and we are surrounded by some kind of noise or distraction until our eyes finally shut in exhaustion.

This summer, I came to appreciate, even crave...silence. Stealing a few peaceful moments at the beginning of each day to read the scripture for the day, and just sit in God's presence.

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 1 Kings 19:11–12

May we be still today; trust that God isn't just in our noise, our schedules, and our "doing." God is in our "being" as well; in the moments when we don't know what to say; in the moments we are overwhelmed; in the tears, the joy; everything that defies words...in the silence, God is very near to us.

Prayer:
God, the pace of our lives so often keeps us from being still. Quiet our hearts. Still our restless souls, and help us to rest in your love.