Have you ever played the Quiet Game? I remember playing that game with my cousins. I don’t know what provoked my uncle’s idea, but one evening, he herded the kids into my grandmother’s living room while the adults enjoyed a card game in another room. He was a fun uncle, though probably the most quiet of the bunch, himself.
“Okay kids,” he said, “The one who stays quiet and doesn’t talk wins the game.”
Each of us wanted to win, so we sat in silence, looking up at the ceiling or straight ahead. One cousin squirmed to distract the others. Another followed suit and made a silly face. There were as many efforts to distract as there were kids. Finally one spontaneously spoke, and the others laughed before my uncle could point and say, ”You’re out.” No one won the game.
Being quiet was hard. There were a lot of distractions-curiosity as to what was going on with our parents’ laughter, and our inability to sit still.
Moving to adulthood, it’s still hard to live in quiet. Bombarded by noise around us-the noise of a lawnmower or delivery trucks in our neighborhood, disturbs our focus. We also hear noise from media, social media, and personal unpleasant conversations.
But what about our internal noise-our inability to sit still? In our life interruptions and life changing events, distractions take on a life of their own. Our wandering thoughts lead to unsettling places. “If I had only said…”- I wish I had done…” -“It sure would be better if______” -“Why can’t________”. Disturbing conversations and events rewind and replay in our head.
Being quiet in the midst of noise is hard. That was my challenge a few weeks ago-to have a quiet heart in the midst of loud thoughts and emotions. With a heavy heart and distractions beyond my control, I desperately craved an exit and went to the One who could provide answers—not to circumstances, but for me. I had a soft landing on:
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)
God’s presence and the promise of His unfailing love offers quiet in the midst of difficult and noisy circumstances. Other scriptures took me to reassurance of His constant companionship, His hand over situations, and His unconditional love in stresses.
Even when those hard situations or people can’t or don’t change, when we squirm and make faces, we can rest in God-confidence, be still, and be quiet. When we do, we always win the quiet game.
What about you? How do you find quiet in God confidence? Share it with us.
If you’re looking for hope and peace for the unsettling places in life interruptions, please take a look at Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart. April White and I wrote this with you in mind as a guide to regain your faith and footing, and find quiet in life altering experiences.
Wonderful post Ms. Marilyn. It’s that “internal quiet” that can be most disruptive in my life; especially bothersome when I’m attempting to pray. During prayers, I’m almost always disrupted by thoughts and ideas. Sometimes they’re helpful or directive, but most often they’re a distraction. Something I’ve been doing for a few years now is when those thoughts start to derail my prayers, I recite (as a prayer) the lines of a poem I wrote many years ago. I pray it might also help you my friend, so here you go.
Your Silent Strength
When daily tasks do challenge me,
When answers don’t seem clear,
Your thoughts, unspoken though they be,
I always seem to hear.
As other folks, my patience steal,
Or troubles take their toll,
Your silent strength, I always feel,
It’s You who makes me whole.
Your wisdom, shared throughout Your word,
Like Your presence when You’re not here.
Is a force so soft, it can’t be heard,
Yet I cannot help but hear.
-jdw 1/82
Thank you, JD for sharing Silent Strength. Love the title and concepts it carries. We think of strength as big and obvious, but in its quietness it is profound and powerful. Marilyn
I used to play “The Quiet Game” with my first graders when teaching school. A few minutes of quiet was all it took to settle my mind and get clear on our next activity. Plus, it restored order.
Growing quiet before the Lord works to restore order to my unsettled mind when I face uncertainty, pain, or worry. He reminds me of his love and directive to trust Him.
Great analogy!
Candyce, I love the points you make that in quiet, the Lord is working and drawing us close to Him. thank you for adding to our conversation. Marilyn
It is difficult to have a quiet mind in the midst of our noisy world. Maybe that is why God wakes us up in the night sometimes to talk to us because that is the only time we are free from any other distractions. When those thoughts of “what if” attack, we can rejoice because our Lord does rejoice over us with singing. I love that scripture in Zephaniah. Thanks for sharing, Marilyn!
Barbara, Oh yes, on the middle of the night! That’s often an alert to pray for someone and there are no distractions there. Marilyn
As an introvert, I crave my quiet time, yet even then distractions and worry can interfere with peace. Reading scripture is helpful, as well as reciting memorized verses of scripture. But I find God grants me peace and assurance most often when I’m walking in His creation or working outside in the garden or yard. Zephaniah 3:17 is one of my favorites–thanks for sharing it and this thoughtful message.
Thanks Katherine for sharing and bringing up the idea of personalities. Some find it easy and even pleasant to be quiet while for others it’s difficult. I think quiet could be a discipline to develop and once it’s been experienced, sought after. Marilyn
Marilyn, quiet time is underrated in most cases. Our lives become so full of tasks and events, quiet often escapes us. Thank you for reminding us of its value. I appreciate this quote: “God’s presence and the promise of His unfailing love offer quiet in the midst of difficult and noisy circumstances.”
Thanks Jeannie. I agree. Quiet is underrated and busyness is elevated. Marilyn
I’m glad no one in our family ever thought of “The Quiet Game,” Marilyn. It would only have added to the list of games I tended not to excel at. The point, though, is so very relevant and important these days when we have “notifications” going off from half a dozen glowing rectangles around us and an uncountable stream of them invading our minds. I love your insightful and challenging post, and also the poem that J.D. shared in his comment. Strategies to counteract the enemy’s tactics, whether they’re the result of our own creativity or someone else’s, can often be the difference between frustration and fulfillment.
So many of us resist the quiet today–and when we seek it, find it almost impossible to sustain. Great message.