Zip it, Kid

I can’t tell you how many times I sit down with what sounds to me like a fun or meaningful thing to write a story about, I get nice and comfy on the couch with every bony prominence well padded (I don’t have very many bony prominences these days), my elbows buried in pillows, big deep breath, hands on the keyboard, and…

nothin’…..

Seriously.  And, it’s not like I’m at a loss for some pretty cool stories to tell, cuz I’m not.  I’m never out of stories.  Never.

Usually, I wind up sitting here staring at the screen wondering how to put something into words.  I’ve not ever struggled with this until lately, but today, I hear all sorts of different things because I’ve only lived here for five months, and my ears are still keenly aware of the strange sounds in my new home.

It’s raining, and the raindrops are hitting the skylight in my kitchen.  My week-old brand new sump pump keeps running every few minutes in the basement.  There are several trees in my yard that sway as the wind blows, and in the mornings, the birds sing the sweetest of melodies.  These are all new sounds to me, but it’s likely that not long from now my ears will be so used to them, that I will no longer hear them without an effort, just like the sound of the train running behind my last home did.  So for now, I’ll just sit here and listen, soak it up and take it all in.

Maybe.  Maybe that’s just what God wants me to do.  Maybe it’s Him, and when He sees me poised to start tapping away on this blog, He goes, “Shush, Rita.”   And maybe sometimes when I am tempted to call a friend and grumble (just a little bit), it’s Him, saying, “Zip it, kid!”

So, I will.  I’ll just zip it.  And I’ll listen to the rain on the skylight and the sump pump pumping, the trees blowing, and the birds singing, and whatever other new sounds come with my new home, and I’ll listen for His voice in the midst of it all.

So I’ll just “zip it” for now, and I’ll listen until the words come.

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”  Psalm 25:4-5