Noise. I hate noise. Yet, I am resigned to the fact that there is no escape. As I sit at my computer trying to concentrate, my brains are being rattled by the weed-eater that is incessantly whacking the weeds outside of my window. The only coherent thought that I can muster is, "Aren't they done yet? How many weeds can there be!"
But I know that this too shall pass. The landscaping crew will move off to other green pastures to strike fear in the heart of other weeds. And to be honest, the interminable whine of a 2-stroke engine is not the noise that bothers me most.
It is not even the constant dull hum of noise that never goes away. The kind that is generated by the passing of cars, the airliner overhead, or the compressor on the air conditioner.
No, the noise I hate the most is the noise in my head. You probably know what I mean. When I'm busy, I'm not aware of it. It is when I want to think and especially when I want to pray that it grows in volume. That is when the noise of my random thoughts just booms. I am trying to concentrate on one thing, when all of a sudden everything that I need to get done that day floods into my mind. Or, I remember conversations from the previous day and I get lost in the things that I said, or wished I had said. I seem to be able to think about everything else, except the matter at hand.
I guess that this is why I am so struck by Psalm 46:10, which says, "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted above the nations, I am exalted in the earth." (NRSV) Be still, and know. It is the noise in my head which keeps me true knowledge and deep understanding. It is in those moments when I am able to push through the noise, to keep the mental "to do" list at bay, that I see clearly. I understand that God is God and I am not. I grasp that the world depends on him and not on me. It is his providence which undergirds life, not my frantic efforts. In these moments I find the peace that comes from having the right perspective on life. This peace pervades my mind even when my ears are full of the sound of the weed-eater outside. This feeling is what makes me want to fight harder against the noise. I need to "be still, and know." Don't you?
Monte Johnston is pastor of the Clayton Presbyterian Church, which worships at Clayton Fitness on Sundays at 10:00 am. You can share your thoughts with him at 
claytonpc.com