What do you think of when I say the word, “silence’? Does it strike fear into you? Does the idea of not having a radio or tv on, even as background noise, make your palms sweat?
I use to run from silence. I love the sounds that could fill my ears….radio, tv, cd’s, my own voice. It’s not that sound is bad. It's just that in the presence of sound there is the absence of silence….and in the absence of silence, it is nearly impossible to hear God’s still small voice. And I really want to hear His voice.
About three years ago, I began to practice a daily time of silence and solitude. It was so hard in the beginning. My mind would not shut off. I cannot tell you how many times I thought about giving up and just going back to the noise. The noise was known. I felt more in control. But, I stuck with it. Someone told me that God was pleased with my desire to just ‘be’ with Him, without asking for anything, even if I was struggling with the distractions. That was enough to keep me going. The longer I practice it, the better it gets.
Distractions will always be a part of my time in silence but I’ve sensed the Holy Spirit working deep inside and have begun to see some changes. I am convinced it is because I am giving the time to God and surrendering to whatever He wants to do in my life.
If you’ve never tried being silent, I encourage you to try. If you are practicing but have been discouraged, share your struggle with God and keep at it. It is one of the core spiritual disciplines. It allows the Holy Spirit to work within us on a deeper level. Don’t judge your time by what you are experiencing during it but just continue to offer it to God and let Him help you learn to listen to His still small voice.
Peace,
Deb
Monday, June 4, 2007
silence
Posted by deb at 5:33 AM
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2 comments:
This is something that I definitely still need to work on. I don't mind the absence of sound but I think that I tend to put too much pressure on myself when I sit down to do silent time. I expect that I should come out of it with some grand revelation or that I should really feel God's presence during that time. And I honestly don't. But I'm slowly learning that my silent time might need to look different from other people's silent time. I do so much better when I can sit outside surrounded by God's creation. Then, even when I'm distracted by other thoughts, I feel God's presence. So for those of you who are frustrated by this discipline, keep trying and maybe switch it up a bit to find what works for you.
What comes to mind with the word "silence"? Peace =) I cherish silence...and not just in my quiet times. (I cherish it at nap times too because it means my house will have more peace afterwards from well rested little souls.) I enjoy cross-stitching when time allows and when my kids are sleeping at night. I often do this in silence after my quiet time and it allows God to talk to me through the verses I've read as I sew.
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