“Clear the Mechanism”.....

I was so frustrated!  I had been on the phone for more than 30 minutes and had yet to speak with someone who could clear up my internet issues.  

For several weeks my computer had been having glitches.  I thought it was just my computer becoming old or that I had a virus.  With my lack of technical skills, it could be any number of things that I had no way of fixing on my own.  Then when I was watching a movie marathon via my Roku device, it went on the blink as well.  I couldn’t get a signal.... My wireless device was working, but the signal wasn’t coming through to the device.  

So began my phone journey and my conversation with the Lord about confusion, clarity and crowded airwaves.......

In the end I was able to reach a young man in Arizona about my wireless problems.  In 10 minutes he was able not only to fix the problem, but he taught me how to fix it myself should it happen again.  You see my wireless network had become “overcrowded” with other networks.  There were too many other systems trying to overlap with mine and too much noise.  What we did to fix it was to go into the modem itself and actually move away from the noise and onto a clear connection.  The result was immediate and amazing.  

Turns out there was just too much "noise" in the air around the connection and it needed to find a new channel....

I wanted to twirl!  It was as if the airwaves around my connection could breathe again!

I posted this on my facebook page several days before:

"Clear the mechanism"...... (From "For the love of the Game")
One of my favorite lines from a movie. Where are there places in our lives where the noise of words/thoughts (our own and others) is distracting us from focusing on the target?
I want to be like that catcher sitting at the plate, helping others to focus on the goal and and releasing them to pitch as their intuition tells them.

hmmmm.... sounds like a blog is in the works.”

Little did I know that I just needed to wait a few days for the rest of the blog to become clear.

As the that pitcher steps onto the mound, all he can hear are the voices of the crowd.  They are cheering, they are shouting insults... they are declaring their own judgements and expectations at him.  Some are even people that he may know who have their own views about how he should pitch.  They may believe that he should sit out... he is too old.... he has too many “issues”....  There are the Managers who want to tell him what they thing he should be doing.  All of this coming at the same time at this pitcher who just wants to send the ball across the plate as best he can.  

Does this sound familiar?  How many times in my own life have I had a moment of decision where I was trying to focus and couldn’t because of all the voices?  How often has that happened for you?

Jesus stepped away to be with His Father.  David strengthened Himself in the Lord.

We all need those times when we are able to shut down the noise that surrounds us and really listen to our own heart’s direction.  When we need to remove the other voices that surround us.  Even the well meaning ones...  Those voices of that want to fix the problem for us....tell us what they think is best...  warn us....  or judge the situation from their story and not ours.  

Even our own voice can get in the way and cause noise....  Cause distraction because of fear, expectation the desire to succeed and belong.

Shutting out the noise puts us into a place where we can truly listen to and focus on the target... which should always be love.  Changing our channel and moving away from the noise means that we will sometimes seemingly have to walk alone...  

But......  In that moment when the noise is cleared away and our hearts, minds spirits are in a place where we can truly listen.....

Then we can hear in the stillness, the voice that not only can direct us forward, but guides us along the way and gives us strength to make the choices....... throw the ball....... fix our connections...... have conversations that need to happen.....  change our direction......move forward even when others tell us differently......

There is a voice that holds the truth about that moment.  Knows who we are and speaks into our lives with only love.........

I want to find that voice and listen to it today.  I want to still my heart, my mind and the voices around me and listen.  I want to become a one who encourages those around me to still the noise - even when the noise is me - and listen.  

Find that place today for yourself.  Find that cleft in the rock... that stillness on the mound and truly listen.