Why is it that I can hear God so much in the silence, but can never bring myself to sit in it?
My time in North Carolina was very spiritually challenging. I had a very hard time hearing God even though I was actively serving Him. At one point I realized it was not that He was not talking, I just was not listening, so I decided that I needed to intentionally listen to Him. On Friday, our last full day, I took a fast from talking and stayed silent the whole day.
Throughout the day, I kept the notes app handy and wrote down everything that came across my mind that I believed was from God, and boy was it eye opening. I was writing so many things down about any and everything. I saw the beauty of God’s creation in new and deeper ways. It was amazing.
That day our lovely hosts decided to surprise us and take us on a field trip to a beautiful waterfall. When this was announced, I had to take a moment and thank God for this gift.
The ride to the waterfall was about an hour, but it gave me plenty of time to admire more of God’s creation. It was also such a sweet thing to just be in the company of my squad mates, hearing them laugh and talk. The hike to the waterfall wasn’t too long nor too treacherous, but oh was it beautiful. Again, I was able to see God’s beauty in a way I had not before. I was looking at random moss-covered rocks and dead trees and thinking “God, You are so good and beautiful”. Once we got to the waterfall, I was in so much awe. It was stunning. I found a boulder to sit on by myself and had a little date with Jesus, then I took off my socks and shoes and worshiped Him in the grass. It was such a sweet moment because I could not talk. I could not pray this super preppy, big-worded prayer. It was simply what was in my heart to worship. After a while, a group of us hiked a bit more to a second set of falls. There I just laid down on a rock in the middle of the river, once again taking in all of God’s beauty. Our time was cut short, and we had to walk back, but the walk back was even more beautiful than before, and the car ride back was just another super sweet moment just watching my squad mates go absolutely crazy to some Justin Bieber “Little Drummer Boy”. I could not talk or sing and join in, but that is what made it so sweet. I was allowed to sit back and praise the Lord for what and where He has brought me.
After dinner, a group of us went to the laundromat to get some clean clothes before heading back to Georgia. I still was not talking, but I was still able to have so much fun dancing and listening to some of my French music with my dear friend Sasha. By the end of the night, I was so filled with joy from the Lord. By spending some intentional time listening to Him, I was able to hear so much.
Our silence is so important. God is not always going to yell at us to be heard, so it is very important for us to quiet everything around us and quiet ourselves so that we can listen to what He is saying. Last fall I got laryngitis and actually could not talk for three days. I did not hear God nearly as much as I did on Friday even though Friday was only one day instead of three. That just goes to show how important it is for us to intentionally seek the Lord.
This experience also made me communicate with my squad on a new and deeper level. Just like I had to intentionally listen to God, they had to intentionally listen to me and watch as I tried to mime what I wanted to say. I feel like they got to know me in a whole new way, and now we can communicate so much better.
This time of silence was oh so sweet, and I am praying for more intentional silence. I also want to challenge you to spend some time in intentional silence. It does not have to be very long. It can be 10 minutes or 7 days. The only criteria is to stop talking and start listening. You will be so surprised at how much you will be able to hear from God.
Thank You, God, for the gift of speech but also for the gift of silence. Lord, help us all to spend more time in silence so that we can intentionally listen to You. After all, we are here to worship You and follow You. We need to be able to listen to You.
With love,
Ali Goolsby
I am reminded of 1 Kings 19. That the Lord was in the whisper. Not the mountains moving or the ground shaking. That when we simply be quiet His voice can get louder.
Wow! How sweet this is. I love hearing how near and present Jesus felt to you in the silence. I was just reading about His silence this morning in My Utmost for His Highest devos. Oswald Chambers says, “His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself.”
Keep on walking with Jesus!
Blessings ??
I so enjoyed reading of your time so far, God has big plans for you! Enjoy every minute! Always remember the power you have over the enemy and don’t be afraid to use it.