Is there quiet in your work/ life/ living space? Or does it feel overcrowded?
Last year, our family took on a bathroom remodeling project bringing a 1950s ish bathroom into the modern age (I know you can picture the ugly yellow tile). It was to take 2 weeks tops-- such an easy transformation (so says our contractor). But as the weeks rolled by the project slowed down fast. In the midst of it all, we discovered something really wrong with the pipes below the house and so on (this always happens when you start a project right?). It led to so many other things we needed to do to this house. Our quiet in daytime house became a circus and stayed that way for a while. I kept saying to my husband "I can't hear myself think anymore!" Can you relate?
To our lives full of so much action (no matter if you are remodeling or not), I want to offer this week's word: listen.
Listen: to be alert; to catch an unexpected sound.
I love this definition of listening because it reminds me that listening is active. And listening is not always about being in a perfect quiet space. For listening connects us to the unexpected sounds all around us-- what has always been there maybe but we finally notice!
You can listen in a noisy house, a busy day or even during a sleepless night when your mind is bubbling over with mental chatter. Even in moments that feel crowded, you can be alert to unexpected sounds . . .
So, I am wondering: what kind of listening have you been doing lately?
Recently I tuned into a podcast conversation between authors Brene Brown and Glennon Doyle in which they dug deep into all the commotion around them. They explored the lists we all carry in our heads about what being a "good person" or "having a good life" means-- and how these lists hold us back from hearing what our lives are trying to show us.
And then they both spoke of how beautiful their lives have become as they made room to listen. Practically, this listening looked like being able to say to their families: "Hey, I need some alone time because I'm really depleted" or telling a friend: "I just can't go out tonight."
Listening, in their case brought boundaries that gave them new life!
So for you, I'm wondering what is your soul trying to communicate that you don't yet have ears to hear? How can you open your heart to some new unexpected sounds around you?
What I know is: there's so much that God is longing to show you, clarify for you, and encourage you with but you have to first listen. May today and the days ahead surprise you with it's beautiful new sounds. Cheering you on-
XO
Elizabeth
