Sorting Through Life’s Noise

 

Twenty-one years ago, I moved from a city of about three hundred thousand people to a somewhat rural setting outside Lisbon, Portugal. Having grown up in an urban environment, life outside the city limits was unfamiliar to me. 

 

Despite our proximity to Portugal's capital city, our new neighborhood had many animals. Over time I did my best to become accustomed to the sounds of dogs barking, cats meowing, roosters crowing, doves cooing, sheep bleating, and over one hundred parakeets for a time chirping in our backyard. 

 

One day a new sound joined the animal menagerie. A mooing sound seemed to be coming from inside our apartment. I soon realized that this latest sound had been programmed as my husband's cell phone ringtone. It must be true what they say, "You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy." 

 

The unique rings we give to our phones help us distinguish them from the phones of others around us on the subway, in the grocery store, at the shopping center, or wherever we go. Ringtones are as varied as the imagination; theme songs from movies, the sounds of children giggling, a favorite hymn, the ca-ching of a cash register, and even cartoon character voices. My husband's current ringtone is a drum cadence. As a percussionist, it fits him well. 

 

Our phones serve as alarm clocks, timers, calendar reminders, entertainment, encyclopedias, contact lists, maps, an always-available collection of games, and more, all available on pocket-sized computers. It is estimated that the average adult spends five to six hours a day using their cell phone. I find this truth convicting.

 

As a Christ-follower, how different would my life be if I gave more attention to God’s Word, whether in digital or printed format than the plethora of other smartphone features? What if I longed to be in constant communication with my Creator? What if I turned to God’s Word throughout the day to be sure I wasn’t missing an important message? What if I turned to His Word when facing life's difficulties and joys?

 

In John 10:4-5, Jesus taught that just as sheep know and follow the voice of their shepherd, His children know His voice. Today, I have to ask myself if I am listening and paying attention to His voice or if I have become distracted by all the other voices around me.

 

"After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't recognize his voice." John 10:4-5 (New Living Translation).