Why is it so difficult to be still and quiet and let God speak to us about the meaning of our lives. Is it because I do not trust God? Is it because I wonder if God is really there for me? Is it because I am afraid of God? Is it because everything is more real for me than God? Is it because, deep down, I do not believe God cares what happens to me? Still there is a voice saying “Come to me, you who who are labored and overburdened, and I will give you rest, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul.” Can I trust that voice and follow it? It is not a loud voice, and often it is drowned out by the clamor of a busy life. Still, when I listen attentively, I will hear that voice again and again and come to recognize it as the voice speaking to the deepest places of my heart.
Excerpts from: The Only Necessary Thing, by Henri Nouwen.
