Another beautiful southern summer morning. My yard is quiet except for the distant cooing of a mourning dove. The weed eater symphony is playing loudly in the yard across the street. I’ll be glad when the last note is played. Don’t know why Mother Nature has been talking so quietly lately. Maybe she, too, is enjoying this respite from the heat and humidity.

Once the weed eater song ended for a brief few minutes my yard was deathly quiet. No birds crunching seeds or singing their morning songs. The earth was calm and still and quiet. I thought maybe Mother Nature is praying right now and thanking God for this wonderful blank canvas called Earth that she gets to paint with her palette of kaleidoscopic watercolors.

Have you ever been anywhere while the quiet of the space just overwhelmed you? When I was in college I went to England and Scotland on a literary tour with some of my fellow students at Wesleyan College. We toured famous writers homes in England and Scotland and places in between where they were inspired to write their thoughts. I remember how I loved Scotland. The colors were just beautiful, light brown and tans and red clay colors, the dark blue of the loch we drove over, and the beauty in the colors of the yellow and honey hued Cotswold stone used in so many buildings and homes. I love the colors of the earth.

I vividly remember going in this small church, St. Edward’s, in Stow-on-the Wold, Gloucestershire, in England. Small and beautiful, built from the honey colored Cotswold stone, so peaceful and quiet. I was the only one inside the rural church and it was so quiet I could almost hear my heart beat. I could feel the presence of the Lord there. I sat on the pew instantly felt a connection to God. I’ll never forget that feeling as I glanced around at the majestic stained glass windows. I love the words, Stow on the Wold, which means holy place on the hills.

Another time I remember the deathly quiet was sitting by Chief’s beside as was dying. No medical sounds, no harsh breathing sounds, just me and the quiet and my silent crying. Several moments of silence to thank him for all the blessings he brought to my life. I felt God with us and I was moved by this quiet in sad solemn way. Sometimes life’s deepest feelings are expressed in silence.

We need to listen to God in the daily chaos of our lives. We need to make time for quiet moments for ourselves to sit and reflect on what’s important to us and to be thankful for our many blessings. These quiet moments can bring us a sense of peace.

“In solitude, listen to your heart, for at that moment, it speaks nothing but the truth.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson, Song of a Nature Lover.