Solace in Silence
“I have stilled and quieted my soul” (Psalm 132:2)
Stepping out of the jumbo 777 in London was, for me, like “The Great Escape!” No desk, no office, a change of pace and a change of routine. I headed for the underground train, running. Finding a seat, I settled in for a nice, ‘quiet’ 1 1/2 hour ride to my destination. I could hardly wait to reach the quaint, little village town.
With each stop that the train made, hordes of passengers piled in. “My goodness!”, I thought, they were shoulder to shoulder, practically on each other’s laps!
The extreme noise of the railway train was as loud as a fire alarm in one’s ear —- crazy loud! I could have penned a song: Sirens and Sardines, but what I needed was silence and solitude.
I reached the cottage, complete with a quaint courtyard, located my room, and Ahhhhh! 5000 miles later, I finally heard it: —— silence ———stillness——-quiet
Noise and busy-ness robs us from intimacy with God. “But I pray often,” some may say. Try not praying, just listen. The ‘quiet’ can be a scary place, and many are terrified to go there. Try turning off the television and radio – send friends home, and lose all distractions.
God is readily found in the quiet, and the funny thing is, He has always been right there. Once the noise and clatter of life dies down, be still, wait on God. “Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you.” He is waiting, with a deep longing for intimate communion – with you.
“Only in silence is heard the beating heart of God” (Father Bernardo Olivera)