I was at Vespers last night with Heather (and about 200 students). Vespers is a student run worship service that takes place every Thurdsay. Usually pretty good.
Last night it was about silence. The discipline of silence in our walk with God. I think that many of us were convicted that we don't allow the 'still small voice of God' to penetrate the bubble of noise we surround ourselves with.
I know that I was. My quiet time has been less than what I'd like recently. And I find myself avoiding silence in my house and at work. (though at some level silence at work is an oxymoron, because the TV in the fitness center runs constantly during my work day)
At Vespers, the silent video we watched asked the question "are you able to hear God with all the noise in your life?" or something like that. Harsh.
So this morning I left to get coffee at the Union (Starbuck's Verona - happy morning to me!) and then drove to a local cemetery, beautiful at sunrise - especially in the fall, and by its very nature - quiet. And I sat for a bit, trying to still the noise in my head: planning for the day, for the trip, prayer requests for me and others, replaying conversations from the week, imagining conversations with people I need to talk to, wondering about different things.
Have you ever noticed how much noise there is just in our HEAD? Let alone the noise of "civilization" - cars, planes, tranes, talking, factories, TV, radio, etc. Once I've cut off that noise, the noise in my head is CLEARLY evident. And you have to cut that noise off in order to hear God speak.
Its a discipline that I haven't mastered yet. I sat in silence in my car for 15 minutes. OK, not really, but it felt like 15 minutes. I think it was actually 2 minutes. And it was overwhelming. Richard Foster talks about that in his book on prayer (aptly titled: Prayer).
I will try again this weekend to find some quiet place on the road - maybe in the hotel parking lot, maybe in the pool area, to be silent before God. To hear him speak to me, as I know he does.
Blessings to you this weekend, and may you be quiet in your soul as you live.
Love, Tiff
p.s. I am enjoying my "title" because it turned into some excellent form of alliteration that I hadn't planned!
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Tiffani - that is SOOOO good! I feel like the Lord has been turning my life upside down, sideways, and back around to him - but still there isn't much silence. And I yearn for it... Life has started to pick up - no longer do I have days just sitting alone in my apartment... I have been hanging out and meeting people, going to meetings, getting practical things accomplished... Even doing all the church things and trying to spend time with my roomies... It is TOUGH to find that necessary silence. And so I thank you for your encouragement and pray desperately to make the choice and be silent. I love you much. BGIRL
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