My husband and I were in Waco, TX this weekend, and after indulging in my love for all things Fixer Upper, we wandered into a nearby market where I found this sign. I had to take a picture because, YES – this is my prayer each and everyday, not only for my clients, but for MYSELF. Noise is loud, chaotic, and sometimes confusing, and we just want it to stop. Noise can also be beautiful – a musical ballad, child’s laughter, or the percolation of the coffee machine. I think one of the most challenging things in life is learning to live with both kinds of noise without letting one kind drown the other out. Because putting our fingers in our ears during times of unpleasant noise is avoidance and putting our fingers in our ears during a beautiful symphony is a refusal to hope. I am so often tempted to put my fingers in my ears, even during hopeful times, when I’m afraid the good will end and I’ll feel dejected. But I’m learning that doing so deafens me to the opportunities to hear music through the noise – melodies that will ultimately shift my focus and sustain me through the unpleasant sounds. My prayer for 2018 is that I would be open to hearing all the noise – not avoiding pain, but not avoiding hope either.