Turn the Volume Down, Please

Facebook is like a social media almanac. Scroll through the news feed and picture after picture will tell you, just in case you don’t know, that summer vacation has begun in earnest. Sadly, you will not see the farmer and I represented at the beach. If we manage to get away, (and this belle is determined to do so), our best chance will be in August. Just like the impromptu getaways of my childhood, we’ll try to find a window somewhere between tending a young crop and harvesting a mature one to get out of Dodge.

I have such fond memories of those childhood vacations. Even the parts that weren’t so funny at the time are endearing in my memories, like Papa trying to navigate traffic on multi-laned roads in overgrown cities. My sisters and I never could understand the connection between Papa’s eyesight and his hearing but its well documented. “Cut out that racket!” he would holler when his nerves got the best of him. “Y’all are making so much noise I can’t see where I’m going!”

We’ve given Papa a lot of good-natured ribbing about that line over the years, which is why he might find it interesting to know that lately I’ve found myself praying something quite similar. I’ve long asked the Lord to give me ears to hear Him and eyes to see Him. Those requests are based on repeated instruction from the scriptures to do just that. Lately, however, I’ve become increasingly aware of how many opportunities are scattered throughout a day to lower the volume that streams at us constantly. And I’m not just talking about unplugging for longer periods from the Internet, our smart phones, radios and televisions. We can let flesh and blood people drown out His voice, too. I’m just asking you to think about it and consider joining me as I pray, “Lord, help me remember to turn down the volume of the world, so I can see where I’m going.”

Hugs, Shellie