It is early morning before the sun rises.

Silence. Peaceful. Calm.

Sometimes I crave the silence. Time to set aside the hustle and bustle of my life. To be still.

But at times the noise and pull of busyness blot out any semblance of quiet. I don’t think I’m alone in the phenomenon called life. It’s hard to avoid all the different directions and aspects that scream for attention.

Perhaps that is why silence has a great appeal to me. The challenge is where and when to find it and claim it. I have a few consistent, reliable go-tos:

• Early morning

• Walk through the woods or fields

• Gardening

• Meditating

• Evening star gazing

• Tea on the front porch

• Quiet time in my comfy chair

• Staring at a lake, river, or ocean.

The Bible speaks to the need of silence for with it comes peace, calm, discernment, confidence, patience, and relationship with God.

Psalm 46:10—Be still and know that I am God.

Isaiah 32:17—The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

Ecclesiastes 3:7—A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

Psalm 37:7—Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Do you crave silence or quietness? How do you find it?