Played “Let the Cat Die” in the porch swing today. My grandchildren loved to do that when they were so young we could all four sit in the swing together. You sit in the swing, swing high, then hold your legs up, and when the swing stops, the cat dies. Did a little research and found out the game is from a poem by Barbara Attaway titled Let the Cat Die. The first stanza reads, ‘Higher, higher, swing me higher, Dad-o! I can almost touch those leaves with my big toe. I did it! I touched them! Now we can let the cat die, Dad-o.’” I’m naive enough to think after all these years my mother made that game up. Anyway, still fun at 69 years old. Penelope enjoyed it, too.

The yard was so quiet today. No modern world intrusions. Shakespeare said, “The Earth has music for those who listen.” I love that and it inspired me to list everything I heard in the quiet cloudy morning. I could hear the breeze ruffling the leaves of the water oak and the bamboo. I could hear the orange beaks of the cardinals crunching the black sunflowers seeds, the bumble bee buzzes, the doves’ wings squeaking when they flew away. Kat was making biscuits on her feeding bowl mat and I could hear the clicks of her claws as she kneaded her biscuit dough. In the distance I could hear a far away freight train’s whistle and the gears changing on a diesel truck. Add in the melodious songs of the birds, the soft pings of the wind chimes and I have a beautiful yard symphony I titled Morning Songs.

In the quiet I thought of a Bible scripture from Psalm 46 that says “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is so easy to find God in silence and solitude. Our world is filled with constant distractions and noise and when we find a quiet space we can hear the voice of God fill our spirit. We find peace in the reflections of the silence.

We read again of quietness in Isaiah 30:15. The verse reads, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” I think when we’re committed to our Christian faith we have a quiet acceptance of God and we trust in his strength and salvation. We feel his presence in the stillness of life’s journeys. When we’re surrounded by the chaos of everyday life and family commitments we have to make a conscious effort to connect with God. Our strength and peace come from God.

Through our prayers and quiet reflection we focus on God’s faithfulness and find solace in his promises. Remembering we’re loved and cherished as children of God helps us find hope in the midst of chaos. Even in difficult times he remains faithfully with us. God is in control of our lives. We have to trust in his wisdom and follow his path. Prayer helps us focus on God’s guidance and in our quiet time we can process our emotions and find comfort in God’s listening presence. There is nothing too trivial to take to God in prayer. Seriously, I’m praying each night for courage for my dentist appointment on Wednesday. Don’t laugh…God gives me peace and I know he understands my prayers. Prayer is powerful and prayer can move mountains. I’ve seen them moved.

I love these words from Mother Teresa — “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.” We all need to find time to step away from life’s demands to find moments of solitude and quiet reflection to feel God’s presence.

“In the silence of the heart, God speaks.” — Mother Teresa