Living in connection with my Guide

When we think of the concept of “quiet time,” we often associate it with silence, time set apart, being alone with God... But our time with God—when we listen to His voice—can take many different forms. In this edition, we hear how Cor Veldhoen gives shape to it. Cor is married to Liesbeth and is father to their two sons: Luca (23) and Sacha (20). Together with Liesbeth, he runs their own business, “Frites & Zo,” a mobile food truck with which they travel across the country.

Cor: How special that I’ve been asked to write something about my quiet time with God, especially since I don’t schedule specific moments for it, the way some people do with great discipline.

For me, quiet time is simply listening to God’s voice.

Throughout the day, I stay connected with my Heavenly Father—through music, listening to sermons, in my thoughts, or during reading and prayer. When I prepare for a speaking engagement, which I regularly have in various churches, I wait for what the Lord shows or speaks to me, so I know what to talk about. This often happens when I’m lying in bed at night or through a dream—in full peace, away from the day’s busyness.

In my food truck hangs a sign with the text: “Even if I do not know the way God is taking me, I do know my Guide.”

Just like a tour guide in a city, you hear them best by staying close. It’s the same with my quiet time. It may not always be “quiet,” but it is lived in close connection with Him—in order to discover the way my Guide (Jesus) is leading me.

John 15 is a helpful Bible passage for this. It talks about the true vine and how important it is to remain in Him, so that we may bear fruit. That is our great commission: to proclaim and make visible God's Kingdom in our surroundings—whether from a place of stillness or amid the chaos of this world.

As we recently sang during a service where I spoke:

(Psalm 25, vers 2)