“Silence and Sound” (Day 19)


Verse of the Day
“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

I was born in Presque Isle, Maine, and I have lived my whole life in the same house in Blaine. I am only nineteen, but roots make life feel older. When you grow up in one place—with the same roads, the same winters, and the same people—you begin to see how time shapes you.
 
My childhood was steady and simple. My parents encouraged my siblings and me to try different things. I explored drawing, karate, sports, and other interests. Some of my clearest memories are snowmobiling with my father. Winter after winter we rode the trails together—the sound of the engine, the cold air on my face, and the quiet sense that we were moving forward side by side.
 
Faith was present early in my life. My family attended Pentecostal churches, though not always consistently. My grandmother, who had once been Methodist, gave me my first Bible. As I grew older, questions came. I wrestled with doubt and even anger at times. I did not reject faith, but I wanted to understand it.
 
That search deepened when I spent a summer in Boston at Berklee College of Music. Near my housing was a Catholic church open daily for adoration. I knew very little about Catholicism, but the church was quiet. So I began to sit there for hours. The city noise faded, and my thoughts slowed.
 
One day I felt a strong pull to go back to that church. When I arrived, the sanctuary doors were closed. Soon the caretaker entered—Father Bob, a priest. He spoke with me and prayed with me. The timing felt too precise to be coincidence.
 
Back home in Maine, I continued exploring churches and eventually felt drawn to Methodism and traditional worship. Music also became central to my life. I discovered guitar during COVID, later turning to classical guitar and organ. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach especially moved me. Hearing the order and beauty in his music made me believe even more deeply that creation itself has a Composer.
 
My journey is still unfolding. But if I am remembered for anything, I hope it is this: that I loved God and made music. And maybe through that music, someone else will glimpse the beauty that first drew me to faith. – Jacob Hotham
 
Thought for the Day
God often meets us in quiet places—moments of stillness where questions, beauty, and unexpected encounters slowly lead us toward transformation. Where might God be inviting you to slow down, listen, and discover His presence today?

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