Enjoying the silence around me

March 2, 2009

While eating lunch today, I read an article in Relevant Magazine about silence. I am fully connected and plugged in at almost all hours of the day. If I’m not listening to something, I’m reading something, not allowing my mind to rest and reflect and listen. The short bursts of silence I get are when riding my bike, but I usually get so frustrated by drivers that I get to my destination fuming, not reflective.

So I’m going to challenge myself to some silence. Real silence. Not sure how I’m going to pull it off as I’m fidgety. But my current knitting project is mindless, so maybe I’ll start there. Sit on the couch for 30 minutes a day, knit, not talk, turn my phone and my ipod off. Maybe I’ll get some answers to everything that has been buzzing thorugh my head lately.

“The Lord said [to Elijah],’Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood in the mouth of the cave.” 1 Kings 19:11-13

How am I going to hear God’s gentle whisper if I never have silence?