Sometimes at a sporting event or even watching a football game on TV, I can almost be deafened by the noise of the crowd.  Driving through a construction zone my body can shake with the rhythm of a jack hammer.  I hate being in a room where an argument has people so enraged that there is shouting and yelling, everyone at once.  Loud noises are discomforting, they bother me.

But, sometimes the loudest voices of all are those inside of me.  The inner voices can be the loudest of all.  What may begin as a gentle whisper, reminding me of something, frequently becomes a loud cry the longer it is denied.  A regret, something I should have done but chose to ignore, blares inside. 

I can move away from or turn off the TV when the noise becomes too disturbing.  I can walk away and find quiet.  Not so with the inner voices.  When I am plagued with the inner noise, I need help.  I look to the Lord who can calm the storms.  I need to stop and surrender and the God who dwells in the stillness of my heart silences the noise.  Quiet is restored…..welcome peace.