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Silence is a Skill?

Mar9

There are 144 notes on my phone.

I don’t know exactly how much space they take up, but going through them I found some interesting things.

Little quips of conversations, and sound bites from sermons.

There are names of people so I can learn to remember their names, (this DOES work by the way!) and numbers; because I never remember numbers.

One thing I found that seems to have been lost somewhere in the recent past is this one;

“Get to know silence like any other skill”.

Now I remember silence.

I like it a lot.

But the thing that befuddles me is the fact that although I do insist on much “silence” in my days, the question remains, is it serving a purpose besides quiet.

What am I doing with it?

I think my quiet times have suffered because they have become largely unfocused.

In the not so distant past, focused, daily quiet time was a regular occurrence.

I was looking over some of my “Quietude” posts from the past, and found →this one← from June 24, 2019.

It looks like I need to make the effort to get back to it!

Back to baby steps I reckon;

  • Same time every day
  • “Do Not Disturb” settings on all devices
  • Bible or other devotional type book
  • Quiet music or silence
  • Journal/note pad for catching random thoughts
  • Strict determination to make it work
  • Some days it is just quiet. No music. No book. No paper. Just quiet.

One of the most important things I continue to find out is this;

It IS possible to change our processes and our thinking, but we tend to forget that changing them is not a permanent thing.

We must keep after it.

So.

Back to basics.

My Bible.

→My Quietude.←

My peace of mind, my joy, my expanded hope – begins again;

Here.

Today.

Will you join me?

Until next time.

Raw and Real #12 – Freedom

Mar4

Today, I enjoy much freedom;

Freedom from anxiety, freedom from shame, freedom from guilt, freedom from bullies.

I enjoy that freedom because I made a quality choice to do the really hard inner work.

Importantly I must add – allowing God/Jesus/Holy Spirit to guide me along what has often been a pretty bumpy path.

I am fully confident, that you can follow much the same path to healing.

What is needed is a longing to be better, and a tenacity to stick with it.

Here is a really important point that must be made!

I profess freedom.

I own it.

But I must understand, and remember over and over again that this does not mean that EVERYTHING is perfect.

Actually, far from it.

Life on this planet is predictably unpredictable.

Everyone has trials.

Everyone has issues; physical, mental, and spiritual.

The deal is; how do we handle it?

I am free because I choose to, as the “littles” say “Let it go”.

I give it to God, and leave it there.

Let me be very clear, sometimes I leave it there once a day.

Other times it is every hour.

Scripture tells us in Romans 12, that we are a “Living sacrifice”.

Well, famous author and teacher Chuck Swindoll states that the problem with a “Living sacrifice”, is that they keep getting up and getting off of the alter.

I have to offer myself to God every moment, of every day.

There is FREEDOM in knowing that I have done the work, and that God reminds me all the time, that “He’s got this.”

Being certain of that, removes the weight from my shoulders.

I can walk knowing that whatever is going on, He is by my side, and that He won’t leave.

I have a handful of what I call LIFE VERSES, one for most areas of my life.

Here is one of my favorites;

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 54:17 (ESV)

Note, that it does not say that weapons will not be formed, it says they will not prosper.

Keeping this thought in mind, helps to keep the weight off of my shoulders.

It keeps my eyes looking ahead to just how God will show me what to do next.

Carrying that weight?

It is my choice.

Dropping it away from me is also my choice.

I need to recognize that some days are going to be more difficult than others, but the bad ones do pass.

What frame of mind will I keep until that happens?

And be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13: 5B (ESV) 

If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:24-26 (ESV)

There may be one more installment for this Raw and Real series, or there may be a summary.

I’m not sure yet.

But either way, won’t you join me?

Until next time …

Raw and Real #11 – Relate

Mar2

After much time working out the “Soundtrack of My Life”, I began to HEAR people in a different way.

Before, I had heard their stories; but to be truthful, said “So what?”

I mean I was sorry, but I had my own issues to deal with right?

Somewhere well into my process though, I found that our stories crossed in many ways.

I was not the only one.

I began to RELATE the stories I was hearing, to the stories I had lived, and from there, I was able to RELATE to the person telling the stories.

It may not sound like much, but as I listened, I found I could help somehow.

Sometimes, it was just by showing up.

Sometimes it was a knowing look.  

Sometimes I could not stop the tears from leaking from my eyes.

Other times it was a gentle touch on the hand.

Sometimes it was a hug.

Whichever one it was, we were RELATEing.

“Hugs” by Isabel Bloom

Do you know how much healing there can be by just knowing you are not alone?

Of course you do.

But do you KNOW you’re not alone?

Have you found the one that you can RELATE to?

Our world seems to think that everyone has to like us, understand us, agree with us; this is so not true.

You know what?

I learned that I can RELATE with anyone, even if we come from different worlds.

Why?

Because we all feel pain sometimes, and we all just need one person to notice us.

When I was young, and going through “un-talk-about-ables”, my only wish was to be invisible, so that maybe those things would stop happening.

But maybe being visible to even one person, the right one person, much of my pain could have been avoided.

To that, I can RELATE.

It became my goal to somehow become that person.

One who can honestly say, “I see you”, and “You matter”.

Now, I am a dyed in the wool INFJ. →INFJ here.←

An introvert.

I’m not shy, but I prefer my times of peace and quietude.

Here is what makes me unique; I am NOT a fair weather friend.

(a person who stops being a friend in times of difficulty.)

In fact, I am quite the opposite.

I claimed the term “Rainy day friend” for myself.

(Rainy day friends are the ones who listen to us when life is difficult, and remain faithful in friendship and relationship when the rest of the world turns their back to us.)

(Hmm. I thought I made that up until I Googled it)

At any rate, I will come out of my quietness when summoned to help with a problem.

I am tenacious.

I do not give up or give in.

That being said, when the answer is found, when you have been heard, when our RELATEing has brought an answer to your anxiety, some sanity to your chaos, some relief to your pain, I’ll be on my way back to my own stuff.

I am so blessed to have gotten this gift from all that I’ve experienced.

We all need someone with which we can RELATE.

Not a hundred some ones, not fifty some ones, maybe not even a handful of some ones, maybe just one.

Remember this; Jesus was followed by masses of people.

He personally taught twelve, hung out privately with three, but really only RELATEd fully with His Father in Heaven.

My personal belief is that the last is the most important, but truth be told, the three is probably the one we should hope for here on earth.

(Unless your one is God!)

So do this please;

Redo your soundtrack.

After you do, or even while you’re doing it, find someone to RELATE your learnings to.

It will be a great help to you both.

Don’t be invisible – the world needs you now!

Next time join me for  Raw and Real #12 – Freedom.

Until then …