“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11 NLT)
The older I get, the more I crave silence and solitude. Although most people think I am an extrovert, I prefer to be by myself than with a group of people. I’m a big fan of hermits like John the Baptist, Thomas Merton, Henry David Thoreau, and Julian of Norwich. Every so often, I fantasize about living in a cabin, near a lake, in the woods...with high-speed internet connection. I imagine myself growing and preserving my own food, reading, writing, and just sitting in contemplative silence. But, truth be told, I wouldn’t last very long in the wilderness. I’m not fond of bugs and rodents. And, even though I know I am comfortable with external silence, quieting my mind is still a challenge.
"Silence is God's first language, everything else is a poor translation. In order to hear that language, we must learn to be still and to rest in God.” (Thomas Keating)
God communicates best in silence. He communicates directly to each of us. When we attempt to interpret and verbalize spiritual insights, a lot is lost in translation. Our minds flit about like hummingbirds from one flower to the next--looking for nourishment, but never enough to find satisfaction. Meanwhile, God sits in our midst like a bird feeder full of nectar. All we have to do is sit still and drink until we are full.
Lord, show us how to settle quietly into Your presence and absorb Your Spirit.
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