Carry Quiet: Spiritual Rhythms for Loud SeasonsSample

From Jen

Noise isn’t your enemy. It’s your encourager—nudging you back to God.

You know that feeling when your thoughts finally settle and someone yells your name from the other room? Or your phone pings just as you take a deep breath? Interruptions are everywhere, and they usually don’t feel holy.

But what if they could?

I’m laughing as I write this, literally at 11:15 at night when my house is finally quiet. We coined the family phrase “calm with mom” before my youngest was two, and I just replaced the padding on my noise-cancelling headphones because I wore them out.

It’s easy to say this now, while my house is calm and all the lights are off, so I can’t see the chores I’ve left till tomorrow. But I’ve come to live by this even in chaotic, crazy moments too, which is why I’m sharing it with you.

See noise as nudges. Interruptions as invitations.

Everything that overwhelms. Whatever threatens to steal your peace, your joy, your hope. Make them cues to reconnect with the loving God who made you. A gentle knock reminding you: you need God, right?

As we'll read today, Paul tells the Thessalonians to “pray continually.”

Not “pray when it’s quiet” or “pray when you have time.” He wrote this to regular folks with jobs and kids and cooking to do—people whose days were packed with interruptions, just like ours.

What if “pray continually” was never meant to happen in spite of everything we have going on, but because of it?

Interruptions set off your stress response. Cortisol spikes, your body braces, and you feel that jolt of “I can't do all this.”

But if you consistently pair those interruptions with a small prayer or reliance on God, your brain builds a new pattern: a holy loop.

Interrupt → return → receive.

The dryer buzzes. Instead of sighing, you whisper, “Thank You for clean clothes.” Your teen slams a door. Instead of escalating, you breathe, "God, give me Your patience." An unexpected bill arrives. Instead of panicking, you pause: "Lord, You know about this too."

Over time, your nervous system learns a different response. The same trigger that used to spike stress becomes a cue for connection. It’s not about making every moment spiritual. It’s about letting ordinary moments prompt awareness and reliance on God’s Spirit.

I think about Moses, who met God in a burning bush while he was just doing his job, watching sheep. Or Gideon, threshing wheat when the angel showed up. Or Jesus, teaching and performing miracles along the way from one place to another. God has a habit of revealing Himself through interruptions.

Maybe your burning bush moment isn't waiting for a quiet retreat. Maybe it's in the middle of Monday morning madness, when you pause long enough to notice: He’s here.

God isn’t asking you to ignore the chaos or fake calm. He’s simply inviting you to notice Him—right here, right now.

The interruption that feels like it’s pulling you away from God? He’ll happily use it to pull you toward Him.

Let every interruption be an invitation.

Spiritual Rhythm: Pick one interruption that happens often in your day. A school bell. A Slack ping. A toddler's yell. Pair it with a prayer. Here's one: "Hi God. Show me Your goodness here." Try it for a week. Watch how your heart starts to turn toward Him, not despite the noise, but because of it.

From Holley & Jen: It’s been our joy to walk with you through this plan, and we’d love to keep encouraging your walk with God. Click here for complimentary access to TWO resources:

• "Who God Says I am" printable affirmation cards—reminders of God's heart for you
• “3-Minute Habit Hacks for Life with God,” simple, practical rhythms to deepen your connection with Jesus.