"God still speaks to those who take the time to listen."

From dawn till dusk we chase our elusive desires. Forever reaching, forever striving, we grasp for that which is just beyond our reach. In the continuing search for something better—a pasture greener or a moment more splendid-we sacrifice the present and lose sight of our soul. Our lives become a constant craving for that which we do not have. Materialistic desires over-rule our spiritual needs as the power of gold mesmerizes us and dollar signs perform their seductive dance in our heads. Money becomes something that must be sought after, saved and protected. The frantic pace takes our breath away and reduces us to rats in a race against time.

The daily pressures of life can often consume our present moments. We load our minds with instant replays of past mistakes or futuristic thoughts of how much better life will be when we finally arrive, finally get what it is we want, finally become what we are not. Our hearts scream in defiance, but we do not listen. We push onward towards a victory in someone else's race and follow a road map of success designed by someone other than ourselves. If we make it to the finish line, we find that it is often littered with ladders of success placed against the wrong wall.

We are often confused by the daily static that somehow invades our minds. Our attention is drawn away from the important, only to focus on the urgent. Some of us feel misled, for we have known the important—our own personal truth—as it beckoned us to its doorstep with promises of balance and love, kindness and grace. It offered us redemption and a chance to recapture the souls we may have somehow lost.

Whenever we have slowed our raging minds long enough to notice, we have caught a glimpse of this beauty—truly heaven on earth. Through meditation and prayer we have seen how wonderful life can be through the eyes of an innocent child. Where only the now exists and life is nonjudgmental and pure, rather than false, phony and obscene.

Life often gives the impression that making it through another day is all that matters. That striving—but never arriving—is what it's all about. For many of us, never does the sun set that we do not think about tomorrow at the expense of today. What needs to be done? What mountains need to be conquered? In doing so, we sacrifice the only thing we really own—the moment at hand.

Then, just when we begin to feel as if tomorrow is most important, our minds flash back to what happened yesterday. We remember and dwell upon the mistakes we made—how things coulda-shoulda-woulda been different if only we would have taken a different course—had a better plan. Rather than releasing the past and all of our mistakes, we relive the pain over and over again, unable to offer forgiveness to the people who need it most—ourselves.

Our hearts race and our minds leap ahead until conclusions are drawn—right or wrong—about what the future may hold. We worry. We are consumed with guilt. We dwell endlessly on the things that we have done and things that we have failed to do, until all of this noise in our heads drowns out the voice that is calling to us, begging us to listen.

But I know of a powerful silence, a tranquil oasis that lives within reach of all of us. I go there often to seek solace and serenity and peace—to replenish life from within. But mostly, I go there to listen for God's voice. For I have found that in moments of solitude and total retreat, He will speak to me. Amidst the confusion and total chaos of a world gone seemingly mad, one clear voice can be heard. A voice that calms my impatience, leads me to peaceful meadows and holds the promise for acceptance of the world just as it is. I cup my hands and drink from these living waters. My thirst is quenched, my soul reborn.

I frequent this meditative state whenever the ways of the world become unbearable. Whenever I need to remind myself of the reason I am here—my life's purpose and mission—and that all is not wrong in the world. I go there to listen. To openly and honestly tune into the one clear voice that tells me everything will be OK. The voice that speaks to my heart in a language the mind cannot understand. The voice that assures me I am one with the universe. I go there to commune with God—I have never been disappointed.

With all that seems evil in our world, with all the madness that permeates our lives, take time to be quiet and still, to meditate and pray. Connect to the God Force and realize your life's purpose. Embrace the gifts He has given you and set out to be the person you see in those quiet times.

For in those moments of spiritual connection, God will communicate the role you can play in making the world a better place. She will quiet the yearning in your heart, offer contentment and peace, and allow you to rest in the supportive arms of spirit. The real you, the one that has been pacing the cage all these years, will be set free. You will find your bliss in the garden of silence.

The voice is there to gently speak to all of us. It knows no particular language, nor does it identify with race, status, culture or religion. It is available at any moment we choose no matter where we are, no matter who we are. But to hear it, we must quiet our minds, pay attention and really listen. Do it. Go there. Enter this peaceful dimension between nowhere and now here and change your life forever.

Some Things To Consider

Take some time today and quiet your mind. Find a peaceful place to relax and just listen to the silence. If you've never meditated before, don't worry about doing anything special. Just close your eyes, breathe in deeply and slowly exhale. You don't have to sit in a funny position or chant anything in particular unless you choose to. As thoughts come into and out of your mind, acknowledge them and let them go. Shhh...Do you hear that? It's the one clear voice of God.

All the best!

All Rights Reserved © 2002 By Jeffrey Alan Hall