Every now and then I find myself unintentionally disconnecting from everyone and everything around me. I don’t ignore who’s around me. I just don’t initiate much engagement with who’s around me. I enter into my “Quiet Place”. I’m not being antisocial. I’m being intersocial. Whenever I enter into my Quiet Place it’s me trying to hear God’s voice. It’s usually when I’m trying to hear the “why” to my “what”. I’m asking God for answers to questions; for guidance; for wisdom; for understanding; for help. I’m desperate to hear Him so I get very quiet and still in my spirit so I don’t miss when He speaks.
From the outside looking in, my Quiet Place may make me seem to be troubled at times. I’m not my usual self (whatever that is). But nothing’s wrong. I’m just searching. I’m in a constant, ongoing interaction with God in my spirit. It’s slow and intentional. And even mystical at times because all I have to offer is question after question. And He speaks. But He doesn’t speak loud. He whispers to me. And at first, I can’t hear Him. But I know He’s speaking to me. Even His whispers are intentional. He whispers and if I want to hear Him, I have to get closer to Him. I have to engulf myself in all things spiritual. I read spiritual. I sing spiritual. I talk spiritual. All of my input is spiritual.
I can’t imagine how many times I’ve missed out on hearing God’s voice because I wouldn’t be quiet long enough to hear Him. Or I wouldn’t tune out what was going on around me long enough to hear God’s voice. Too many distractions. Too many noises. How many times have I prayed but didn’t listen to what God had to say? Because God always has a response whether we like it or not.
Often times, Jesus would go off by Himself to pray. He would go to His Quiet Place. Away from the hustle and bustle. Away from all the surrounding noises. Away from any distractions. Away from everybody. All to speak to the Father, to hear His voice and to feel His presence.
It’s a beautiful thing when God invites you into a Quiet Place. Quiet Places are where we have encounters with God. And those encounters always leave you different and changed. Because you can’t come into the presence of God and leave unchanged.
A Quiet Place is so much more than an experience with the Lord. As Christians, we have religious experiences all the time. But encounters with Jesus happen in Quiet Places. My Quiet Place is me looking for an encounter with God.
*Tressa Jo
BeyondSeeLevel 