Journey of the Word

I live in Louisville – the 29th largest city in the U.S. with a metro population of 1,269,702.

Life in “the Ville” is thrilling. Always something to do. Somewhere to go. People to hang with. Great parks. Events galore. It’s a happenin’ place.

But I don’t consider myself a “city girl.” I dislike almost anything formal, and I avoid malls at all costs. I would never again put on a pair of shoes if I could help it, and my ideal vacation is leaving civilization, going “off the grid,” and getting lost in the mountains or wading in the creek.

So this week, I followed the dirt roads to Buckville. Yes, Buckville. A remote town in the middle of Arkansas’ nowhere. A place where Google Maps is no help, and the conversations are nice and slow-like. Population maybe 300? Nearest mall at least an hour away.

Oh my yes. Here, all is well. No anxious thoughts. No noise or lights. No hustle and bustle. Distractions gone.

I could get used to a place like this.

Or could I?

If I’m honest, I know how dreadfully accustomed I am to busyness. And social interaction. And entertainment. And distraction.

Stillness? How wonderful and awkward.

Silence? How relieving and uncomfortable.

And yet, it is in the stillness that God speaks. It is in the moments of silence that our minds are potentially whisked away to an unknown, glorious place deep in the heart of the Word of God.

So I open the Word here in my little Ville. And in this paradise of the soul – the chickens scratching, the towels drying over the porch rail – I sit back, open the Word, breathe in the country air, and just listen.

And in a few days, I’ll go home to my big Ville, and I’ll listen there, too.

For there, in Derby town, where life is a little crazy and the rush is real, I can still find God. I can shut out the drama, schedule a date with my Bible study notebook, imagine dead-end dirt roads, porch swings, and lake sides, and just listen in silence, peace, and rest . . .  These are not a once-a-year vacation spot but a daily choice.

Daily, I must choose moments of undivided devotion to the Word – because whether in Louisville or Buckville, that kind of life is simply what I need.

[all images by journeyoftheword.com]