Elisabeth Elliot: "O Thou, who art my quietness, my deep repose, my rest from strife of tongues, my holy hill, fair is Thy pavilion where I hold me still."

Lisa Barry: That was a portion of a lovely poem written by Amy Carmichael. It captures so well our subject for this series?quietness. Do you sometimes feel like you're drowning in noise? Maybe it's the TV or the stereo. Add to that the voices of running children, the telephone and the washing machine, and you've got a regular cacophony. It seems unavoidable. But as we'll find out today, Elisabeth Elliot believes we have much more control over the noise in our lives than we think. How does a mother bring quietness to her home and to her spiritual life? You'll find out as we begin this Tuesday edition of Gateway To Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That?s what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, talking again today about an ambition for quietness.

Last week we talked about the importance of quiet time. I can't emphasize that aspect of the spiritual life often enough. How do you expect to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit if you don't take time to listen? Listen to God, not to your Walkman, not to your radio, your television, not even to your husband or your wife. You have to arrange whatever it takes for quiet time.

Now some of you can't literally, really, physically. But you can tune your heart to God's heart. Ask Him for a quiet heart, even though you're surrounded with people, noise, traffic, neighbors, crying children, dogs. You can learn to shut yourself in with the Lord. Commune with Him.

I have a lovely testimony here from Jennifer. This was her Gateway To Joy story. Her quiet time, she tells me, is over her ironing board. Some of you long for quietness, but you believe there is simply no way to arrange it. Have you tried praying? God might have a solution up His sleeve. Ask Him. Call a family conference. Just explain that we're going to start over. There will be quiet hours, quiet voices.

Well, let me read you some of Jennifer's story. There's a charming picture of her with her two little boys and two little girls. She says, "My ironing board was my mother's first ironing board and became my ironing board when I got married. It is one of those 50-pound, blue-iron types. This ironing board, ensconced by the window, has become my personal trysting place, as I have stacks of boxes of past and current tapes of Gateway To Joy by you, Mrs. Gren. You have come in over the years to company me as I stand with my piles of cottons and gently I've learned to love God with all my heart, to trust God and to be brave in all circumstances, to love my husband, to love my children, and to be a happy keeper at home.

Before I married my husband fifteen years ago, I studied your book, LET ME BE A WOMAN. From then, I began to have my heart really taught in God-fearing womanliness. I'd spent most of my 28 years being an independent tomboy, and the last seven of those years pulling all-nighters in the high-risk trauma intensive care units. So my perspective on the life of a lady was all out of whack.

It dawned on me while courting my husband that he needed a lady for a companion, a wife, a helper, not something that appeared like his own gender. The transformation was on. My dear mother and dad sent me sets of your tapes, and they began to be settled and listened to by my ironing board. Over the years, my dad has kept up with the current tapes of Gateway To Joy and has given them to me for my nurturing in truth and disciplines of life. They, in turn, get loaned out to many neighbors and friends.

As it has turned out, I am not the only one nurtured by the ironing board. God gave my husband and me two boys and then two girls. Since before we were married, it was happily settled that I would stay at home to be the keeper and mama to any little ones given. The first little soul was given for only a few months, and we never saw his face. After confessing the ensuing self-pity as sin and receiving the refreshing cleansing from our Lord Jesus, we knew we could wholeheartedly entrust any following children with the sovereign hands of our loving Shepherd, no matter the times of their days. Hence, their baby samplers are stitched with this confession: 'One little lamb the Shepherd lent, Reuben Gilmore from heaven sent.'

It was this one little tenderhearted boy that would notice now and then that his mother was having something less than a gracious day and sweetly offer his remedy. 'Mama, I think you'd have a better time of it if you'd put in one of your Elisabeth Elliot tapes.' His brother and sisters soon noticed the connection as well.

Some mornings before we begin school, I'll take a little time at the ironing board and turn on a Gateway To Joy tape, thinking that the children are all busy in the morning chores. Soon I notice the quiet and small appearances of thirsty souls, happy to sit on or lean against Mom's tall bed. Some came with a little knitting or drawing project, listening to soak up good things.

When I'm listening to the series on A MOTHER'S WORK or WOMEN'S WORK or FEMININITY, my girls are learning what is God's design and heart for them as young ladies. The boys, now nearing their teens, are listening for the kind of wife they will be looking for."

Well, I haven't got time to read all the rest of it, but it certainly was an encouraging letter to know that somebody is listening and somebody is heeding the things that you hear on Gateway To Joy.

Amy Carmichael wrote this lovely poem. "O Thou, who art my quietness, my deep repose, my rest from strife of tongues, my holy hill, fair is Thy pavilion where I hold me still. Back let them fall from me, my clamorous foes; confusions multiplied. From crowding things of sense, I flee and in Thee hide. Until this tyranny be overpast, Thy hand will hold me fast. Although the tumult of the storm increase, grant to Thy servant strength, O Lord, and bless with peace."

Now Valerie has instituted a quiet hour in the afternoon for her children and for herself. That's a lifesaver. Each child must be alone in a room. He is not allowed to make any kind of noise. He is not allowed to use tapes or Walkmans. He has to amuse himself. Of course, if he wants to, he can take a nap. But they are not allowed to go to the bathroom, because the bathroom is taken care of before the hour starts. The children who are too young to read watches have a timer in their room. Valerie sets the timer and tells them that they are not to leave the room until the bell goes off.

You know, it works. It works wonderfully well. There's this sudden, complete cessation of all noise in their home. Valerie herself of course has the opportunity to take a 20-minute nap, and then she can spend 40 minutes uninterrupted by those children. So it's a lifesaver for her, and it's a wonderful discipline for the children. You know, they love it. They really do love it. As they get older, Valerie tells me they want a much longer quiet time so they can read a book. They read and read and read.

Teach your children to speak more quietly. Teach them to sit still, as Ruth did. "Sit still my daughter," said Ruth's mother-in-law, "until thou see how the matter will fall." Learn to listen to birds. I'm so thankful that I had a father who required us to stop dead in our tracks and listen to the birds. Learn to do without the CDs and the tapes and the Walkmans and the videos some of the time. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the CDs, etc. You know when they are edifying and when they are not. But by all means, have some time when you don't have to have any of those things on.

Learn to be quiet. Think. Beware. Don't slam doors. One time when somebody said, "Let's think for a minute," I just said, "Well, let's do something we can all do." Some people can't really think very fast. That was certainly the way I was feeling at that time. But don't slam the doors. Don't race up and down the stairs. Don't make tremendous rackets in the house. You'd be amazed at how much quieter and simpler life will be. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life?a quiet life.

These words from Amy Carmichael: "Never will I ask of thee more than thou canst do. Always I will be to thee Savior, Shepherd, too. Never shall go forth from Me a command too hard for thee. Trust Me then, O child of Mine. Faith knows not to fear. Thou art Mine, and I am thine. I am always near. Near to be thy strong defense, quietness and confidence."

Learn those last two lines. "Near to be thy strong defense, quietness and confidence."

Lisa Barry: Well, I hope quietness seems a little more attainable after hearing today's program. God will help us, if we just ask Him. I have to admit, I often forget that I can ask God for His help on matters like instilling quietness in the home. For some reason, it always seems like it's all my responsibility. But as Elisabeth pointed out, the Lord is always near to be my strong defense?not just against mortal enemies, but nagging, bothersome ones as well.

There is so much to this series, and I know I won't be able to apply it all, unless I hear it again. Even if I remember to jot down important thoughts on paper, it seems that while I'm writing I miss the next thing or get incomplete thoughts. The tapes are so helpful. I know many of you have used them to help others. They are a cherished possession for many people.

If you're a mother with small children, I especially encourage you to purchase this series, because it just might preserve your sanity. The cost for this one-week series is $5. To order, you can send that amount, along with your request, to Gateway To Joy, Box 82500, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501. Or call toll-free: 1-800-759-4JOY. If you're on the Internet, be sure and check out our Web site. You'll find our online product catalog, weekly program topics, Elisabeth's speaking schedule and much more. That address is gatewaytojoy.org. Today?s program has been a production of Back to the Bible.

Tomorrow Elisabeth talks about taking time to listen, so I hope you'll be back then when we meet for another Gateway To Joy.