Thursday, April 9, 2020

What I am learning about quiet?



The last bit of time has been challenging to me.  I am a people person and this whole world of social distancing and lack of meaningful interaction with others has been hard.  At first, I fought against it, then I began to realize I could resist whatever the Lord is trying to do for my good during all this or I could cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

For the last few days, I have been thinking about what this time of separation or even isolation from others is beginning to teach me. This is a work in progress, so this list is neither ranked by importance or exhaustive as a list.  It is just simply where I am right now.
So, what am I learning so far:

Quiet and solitude are good things
Like most of us my days are filled with activity. I am on the go and always doing something.  My day starts early and is usually long.  It is filled with travel, study, writing, reading, prayer, planning, meetings, ministry, administration and the list keeps going.

During all that activity there is usually a background of noise.  The noise can be anything from voice of a person, the sound of music, the noise of traffic.  Maybe when I have the opportunity for quiet and solitude, I pick up my phone and start to look at social media or turn on a television to watch some sporting event or western.

What is missing is quiet, stillness, solitude.  Then I fall in the bed and get up and do it all over again.  No wonder I become spiritually anemic and fail to hear the voice of God.  These days I have been still more than usual and quiet.  I have been listening.  I have been in tune with what is going on around me. 

The result has been a sense of peace during uncertainty.  I have heard spiritual lessons from simple things like flowers and taking a walk, or just sitting quietly and listening.  Just being still for a few moments.  Not trying to fight against that moment, not trying to fill it with noise or even activity.  Just listening!  It has been so good for me.




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