Quiet time? I’m the last person who should be talking about having a quiet time—at least that’s how I feel today.

    At 4:15 a.m. I drove my friend to the airport. We chatted and drank large cups of coffee. The return trip, though, was a haze of tiredness, so I blared my new CD and mindlessly sang along.

    Later, in an effort to set up my home office, I ran to the electronics store, came home, made several failed attempts at connecting to the Internet, and finally went to lunch. Then I spent countless minutes on hold with my cellular phone company. (Apparently I live on the edge of the universe, and the only way to guarantee coverage is to increase my monthly fees.)

    The neighborhood children chose the area right outside my window to play “Who Can Shriek the Loudest?” I took a break from my work to make some coffee. I was distracted and made the coffee too strong. Now there is a lazy fly buzzing noisily at my window.

    I’m tired, I’m unfocused, and I’m still attempting to be productive. What else will I muddle through before I collapse into bed tonight?

    I complain about the unending demands of life, but secretly I find solace in its steady pace. I’m not sure what I would do if quiet interrupted my busy schedule.

    What happens when life isn’t moving too fast for me to think? I’m used to making decisions “on the fly,” succeeding by the “skin of my teeth” and always being “two steps behind.” In the rare moments when my schedule breaks, I’m disturbed by the calm I encounter.

    Quiet moments quickly fill with thoughts I ordinarily avoid—finances that are slipping out of control, angry words I said in haste, or the apology left unspoken. As these thoughts settle, deeper questions rise to the surface: Why am I here? Who loves me? Is my life making a difference?

    These are followed by questions about God: When was the last time I asked God about His plans for my life? Do I set aside personal time to worship Him? Have I told Him how thankful I am for His love?

    In the quiet, the questions become prayers—communion with God. He plants the questions on our hearts, and it’s our job to seek Him and to listen for His answers. In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, God tells us that we will find Him when we look for Him: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

    Even Jesus needed quiet time to seek God. He didn’t run from solitude; He sought it. Luke 5:16 says that He “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” Just before He was crucified, the Lord went off by Himself and prayed. He poured out His anguish. He pleaded for another way. He submitted His own will and sought the Father’s. Jesus looked for a quiet place so He could seek God in the blackest hour of His life. In response, God sent an angel to strengthen His Son.

    Allowing time for quiet in our daily schedule helps us acknowledge the real issues of life. It also opens the door to honest, fervent communication with our Father. It provides an opportunity to experience God’s blessings and His peace—if God can step into Jesus’ blackest hour, He is capable of stepping into my gray day.

    Imagine my chaotic day infused with moments of quiet:

    Instead of singing a meaningless song on my way back from the airport, I could have shut off my stereo and allowed the silence to fill my heart and mind. I could have prayed for my friend’s safe travel. I could have told God about my hopes for the day. He would have reminded me that He loves me.

    Instead of plunging into my work, I could have taken 15 minutes to read a passage of Scripture. I could have asked God for wisdom. He would have quieted my anxious heart as I tried to figure out my computer.

    Feeling a little more peaceful, I could have called out a warm hello to the neighborhood children. I might have politely asked them to move to another yard. I might have invited them in for some lemonade first.

    By the time I made my coffee, I wouldn’t have been feeling so frazzled. Perhaps I’d have paid better attention and put the right amount of grounds in the filter.

    Regardless of the day’s circumstances, I would have experienced the underlying peace that comes from quiet time in God’s presence—the overflowing abundance of peace that transcends my own questions and confusion.

    I guess you don’t have to be the authority on quiet time to tell other people about it. You just have to know the One Who is.

—Hohna Cass