Silence in the Noise

How do you find silence in all the noise around you? Take a moment to be silent and take in the photo below, or a view you have out the window. Or, close your eyes and think of your favorite "quiet place." Something happened to me when I went for a run this morning that forced me into silence...I got out my little clip on iPod shuffle to listen to some music during my run. After getting it set in my ears, I noticed the switch had already been moved over to the "on" position. This had happened before. I knew the battery would be dead, and it was. I had to run without any music, which turned out to be a good thing.I remembered running before there were iPods or MP3 players. This morning I listened to my feet. I heard different kinds of birds singing their morning song. I heard my breathing. There was a little bit of road noise from cars, but I can't remember it. I must have blocked it out. I found myself praying some too. I was able to find "silence in the noise." It was refreshing.Can you remember your favorite "quiet places" growing up? I used to climb trees and take long bike rides. I remember a summer job carrying canoes down to the river with nobody around. In college, I used to find a desk for studying in the most hidden away part of the library. It seems that we all have a need for silence. Silence is refreshing to the soul.What is your favorite "quiet place" today? There are moments I long for during vacation times, like a thunderstorm at the beach. This can be a quiet place. I like to be up early sometimes, reading in my favorite chair, before the world is awake. This can be a quiet place. See what happens in your life this week when you meditate on the idea of finding "silence in the noise."To go a step further, try listening to a sample of Quiet Place from my 5th album The Voice.