Filling The Silence

On one of my recent travels from Indiana to Florida, I had hours of silence as the car stereo wasn't working, my phone had two albums of songs I'd already heard.  I sat in my seat, immobile inside, as miles upon miles of countryside streaked past. So often I wanted to fill the silence, bored as it were and sometimes uncomfortable with it.  And it made me think about how often we try to fill the silence with something.  I wondered about why we do that.  Why is it so hard to embrace silence?  I know for me, my thoughts race to this thing or that.  Reaching for my phone for a peek at Facebook.  Should I put those earphones in and listen to those songs I've already heard before?  But then I know when I just surrender myself to God in the silence and quiet my self from it's demands and desires for instant gratification for whatever its been used to having, I can smile at the beauty of the moment with God.  And I can see around at the beautiful countryside almost as if it's through His eyes.  And I can hear Him speaking to my heart and sharing words of a song I know He wants me to sing aloud back to Him.  Or He just let's me feel His sweet Presence to know He is truly with me, protecting me on the roads, giving the drivers around me wisdom to make good choices instead of ones that will create danger to themselves and others.  He knows the plan He has for me and my heart is flooded with hope.  When we embrace the silence with Him, often we can hear so much He wants to convey.  And it's sweet and tender and intimate and intentional and filled with hope and guidance for our journey forward.