The Sound of Silence by Susan L.

  My folk's condo is in a busy suburban area. A major highway runs near their place. The Toronto International Airport has a runway a few kilometers south of them. It's neat to watch the planes coming in for a landing or taking off to places unknown. Compared to my little house in the country, it is a noisy place and takes some getting used to. My folks don't notice it.
  Years ago we used to live a bit north of where they are. It didn't seem noisy but I guess it's all what we're used to. The area has changed a lot with huge subdivisions built and tons more retail. The traffic is constant, rush hour or not. I am glad we left when we did. I thought it was too busy then.
  I remember our first night on the farm in 1993. My ears throbbed from a silence so intense it was almost painful. It was October so even the nighttime cricket chorus was gone by that point. There was only an occasional moo from the cow tenants who were residing in the barn. It felt like a sensory deprivation experiment and took some time to acclimatize to the absolute stillness and peace of the country; a peace I now relish and celebrate.
  My city dwelling son commented on how unbearable the crickets were when he stayed over, that he'd had a hard time sleeping. Crickets? What crickets? It took active listening on my part to hear them again.
  It's funny how the music of our lives becomes sub-audible until something isn't quite right like the fridge motor starting to grind. For me, it's the sound of my sump pump. It wakes me from a deep sleep if it isn't working properly.
  I wish...or should it be pray... I would hear the quiet whispers of my Lord all the time. Somehow they seem to fade into the background unless I take the time to focus on hearing His voice. Somehow, sadly, He gets lost amidst the sounds of silence.
  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Mat 11:15