teleport to heaven  

Lesson #3: Silence speaks a thousand words

This road trip is the first where I drove without turning on the radio. My cellphone was turned off, too. It’s just me, myself and God. And the sound of the tires. And the engine. For 5 hours, it’s silent.

During these hours alone with God, he spoke to me in a bunch of words. Ok, it’s not like a creepy audible voice from heaven, I don’t even want to experience that. But it’s like God speaking and conversing to me through my heart and spirit. I can feel his presence comforting me, teaching me, filling my thoughts with his thoughts. I talk to him. I listen. This thing do not happen every time.

This experience reminds me the importance of being silent. In the city where noise is part of the lifestyle -- TV, movie, mall, car stereo, the internet at work and at home -- it’s almost impossible to be quiet and listen to God speak.

God said, “Be still and know that I am God”. Most of the times, the reason why we found ourselves helpless and far from God is because of the noise around us. Literally and figuratively. The noise distracts us. We don't have time for God. We have a bunch of reasons not to be in the presence of God. The reality is, whatever religious background you found yourself growing into, our situations are similar -- we consistently run away from God while he consistently run after us.

Silence speaks a thousand words. If we will just shut up and listen, we're realize how passionately in-love God is with us. He'll tell us that he moved mountains just to reach for us. No, I meant he moved heaven and earth. That's what Jesus did when he, being God became a man just so man can relate with God.

Shutting up may mean distorting your routine to accommodate God. You can read the Bible and pray in the morning or come with fellow believers and worship God on weekends. Whatever it is, just shut up and listen. You'll hear God. Ok, not the audible voice. But you'll see, just try it.