Imagine this little experience with me a moment…

I went to the top of the stairs yesterday and called out, “Ellie, do you remember what you needed to do this morning?”

“What?” came the reply.

I repeated the instructions.  Pause.  There was this staticky radio noise coming from her room, which I recognized as coming from her Our Generation mini doll car.  Then I hear her say the following to her sister, “What did mom say, Aubrey?”  Then more doll car radio static.

I chuckle quietly to myself, sitting there a couple more minutes, curious what will happen.  Nothing.  No response.  The doll car radio takes up all their attention as it slowly comes into greater clarity, playing a song from a Christian radio station.

As I sat there I could imagine my desired response; what I as her mother wanted to have happen.  Ellie would say, “What?” And then from hearing my voice, she would turn off the radio so she could hear clearly, or she would physically come closer.  She would set aside the distraction so she could connect a moment and listen and respond to her mother.

(Note, I am sharing this event with Ellie’s permission.  And I should also note that when we talked about it she said, “But mom, it was a Christian song!”)

Don’t we do this with God all the time?  We do want to hear Him and follow Him.  But we are also busy doing our own thing, which creates static and noise in our lives.  We have our own versions of the doll car radio.

God’s desire for His children is that we, “Set that aside a moment.  Turn it off.  You can’t hear both that and me.  Come closer.  Be still and quiet with Me so you can hear my voice.”

“Be still and know that I am God …”  ~Psalm 46:10

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  ~John 10:27

“Abide in me, and I in  you.”  ~John 15:4

It’s a simple practice.  Setting aside moments to be still with God.  He wants us to put ourselves in a place where we can connect with Him without interruption.

How could you intentionally make a plan to be still and quiet with God?  To make this habit part of your life rhythm?

In what specific place?

When?