Kettle Club: November Quiet

The Kettle Club is a monthly meme from Exemplify Online. We are committed to spending time with the Lord BEFORE writing and blogging, and at the end of the month, we share our experiences. This month, our goal was to be silent before the Lord. Check out this post for some suggested questions to answer, and this one to read other folks' contributions to this meme. My thoughts are below

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Twas the month before Christmas,

and all through the house

not a creature was stirring,

not even a mouse.

This little poem parody did NOT describe my month. But then again, I don't think that is what the Kettle Club's challenge for November was. Coming before the Lord in silence is not the same as being surrounded by quiet when coming to Him.

And it's a good thing, because my quiet time this month was rarely if ever auditorily quiet. It was filled with children playing and/or fighting, requests of many sorts from my kids, insistent meows, and even, on one occasion, the squealing of an actual mouse struggling to escape the jaws of our mighty feline hunter. Sure, there were some days when the noise wasn't there. But that was the exception.

No: for me, silence meant a hushing of my expectations, my preconceived notions, and my heart. I've discovered that I don't listen very well when I'm talking. And I was coming to my devotional time with lots of things to discuss, and ponder. I had my agenda: with God, even with my Bible reading. I was looking for something to tweet - or something to write a blog about. Or I was remembering the story I would read and skim for things I hadn't noticed before.

But this month, I tried to listen to God first - without expectation. I tried to read God's Word as if for the first time. 

And as I silenced myself, I heard God speak.

And it was GOOD.

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Stop by November's Kettle Club meeting to see what others have to share about their month of silence before God.