I was in Chicago over the weekend and one thing you notice is the incessant noise.  Sirens.  People.  Horns.  Lots and lots of people honking their horns.  Agitated.  Impatient.  They all want to get through a light or to the next block and people are in their way.  So they honk.  And honk.  And honk.

I was listening to all the honking while trying to enjoy a vacation.  I wanted to slow down so I could soak in time with my VSW, her son, and the food and sights of Chicago.  It was a good weekend and we did get to see lots of interesting things and learn more about the city and what makes it rich in history and food.

It was good but the noise was ever-present.  On the Chicago Architectural Foundation boat cruise, the tour guide was interrupted several times by sirens, loud music and trains passing overhead on bridges.  It was a nice, peaceful boat ride accompanied by lots of noise.

It struck me how life is so much like my trip to Chicago.  I want life to be nice and relaxing.  I want time with family, a peaceful place to work and achieve, time with friends, time to exercise, time to explore and see new sights.  I get some of that but it is so often interrupted or encumbered with noise.  The reality of life is that there is lots of noise around me and it makes it difficult at times to relax or concentrate on what I really want.  Noise from bill collectors.  Noise from people who want what they want when they want it and don’t really care about me or my needs or wants.  And the voices…oh, the voices that tell me I am less than I want to be.  The voices that try to derail my dreams, my hopes and my goals.

Truth is, if I want a quiet place I have to create it.  The noise isn’t going to stop for me so I have to learn to get away from the noise.  I have done it in the past but today I seem to be in a much noisier place than I’ve ever known and it is hard to get away from it all.  God calls me to quiet time with him but, honestly, I give him some time and it is still filled with noise.  This morning I stopped and restarted prayers 2 or 3 times because my mind would drift based on the noise that was filtering in.

I want to control the noise but I can’t so I must learn to adapt to it and find my own way to put it in the background.  It is a work in progress, just like the rest of me.  I haven’t reached where I want to be but I continue to seek a path to peace and quiet so I can hear what I need to hear and fill my mind with what it really needs to be filled with.

Oh Lord, help me.  Give me strength when I am weak and give me peace when the noise is overwhelming.  Give me courage to fight the battles for my time with you and give me patience so I do not add to the noise.  Amen.

Grace and peace.