Cherilyn Chang

  Rest  for  the  Weary     Your  alarm  clock  rings.  It  is  8  a.m.  It  is  time  to  start  your  day.  Before  you  can  even   get  anything  productive  done,  you  realize  that  time  is  quickly  ticking  away,  and  the  items   on  your  to-­‐do  list  just  keep  coming.  You  are  rushing  from  class  to  class,  meeting  to  meeting,   appointment  to  appointment.  Your  stomach  growls  and  you  realize  that  you  have  not  eaten   anything  all  day.  After  your  day  is  finally  over,  you  return  to  your  room  and  grab  a  quick   bite  to  eat  before  you  begin  to  work  on  an  important  assignment.  It  is  4.a.m.  and  you  realize   that   you   need   to   get   some   sleep   before   your   next   day   begins.   What   is   wrong   with   this   day?   This   day   is   the   life   that   most   people   live   today   –   busy,   chaotic,   tedious.   The   work   never   seems  to  end.  I  am  here  today  to  sell  you  something  that  is  necessary  in  a  life  such  as  this  –   silence.       You  need  silence  because  you  need  time  to  breathe.  Rushing  around  from  place  to   place,   you   can   barely   breathe.   You   are   working   your   mind   and   body   so   much   faster   and   harder   than   your   body   was   created   to   handle.   Your   heart   is   racing   at   110   beats   per   minute   and   your   lungs   are   using   up   the   little   oxygen   that   you   have   left.   Silence   will   give   you   the   opportunity   to   take   a   deep   breath   in   and   a   deep   breath   out.   It   will   give   your   heart   the   chance  to  slow  down  and  relax  again.  It  will  give  your  lungs  the  chance  to  regain  the  much-­‐ needed  oxygen.  Set  aside  time  in  your  day,  whether  it  is  in  the  morning,  middle  or  end  of   your  busy  day,  to  just  sit  in  silence  and  breathe.       Secondly,   you   need   silence   because   you   need   time   to   reflect   on   and   process   through   the  hectic  events  of  your  day-­‐to-­‐day  life.  When  you  meet  one  person  after  another,  work  on   one  assignment  after  another,  you  do  not  have  time  to  think  through  the  events  of  your  day.   Sitting  in  silence  will  give  you  the  chance  to  think,  rest  and  reflect  on  your  life.         Finally,  you  need  silence  because  this  is  the  time  when  you  can  hear  God  clearly.  In   Psalm  46:10,  the  Lord  says,  “Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God.”  The  subject  of  this  verse  is  an   indirect  “you”.  The  command  of  this  verse  is  to  be  still.  It  is  not  an  easy  command  to  obey  in   today’s   world   of   busyness   and   happenings.   Nonetheless,   it   is   still   a   command   that   we   must   obey.  We  must  force  ourselves  to  step  away  from  the  craziness  and  noise  of  the  world  and   enter   a   space   in   time   where   we   can   “be   still   and   know   that   He   is   God.”   God   speaks   to   those   who  will  listen.  So  my  question  for  you  is  this,  are  you  willing  to  listen?       Silence  is  rare  in  our  world  today.  Take  the  time  to  create  your  own  time  of  silence   with  the  Lord.  With  silence,  you  can  finally  give  yourself  the  chance  to  breathe  again.  With   silence,  you  can  recall  the  events  of  your  busy  day.  With  silence,  you  can  be  still  and  know   that   He   is   God.   I   invite   you   to   take   my   offer   of   silence   and   give   yourself   some   breathing   space.  Not  only  will  you  cherish  this  moment,  but  God  will  minister  to  you  in  your  time  of   silence.  He  will  refresh  and  renew  you  to  face  the  trials  of  this  demanding  world.