When We are Silent, Part Four: Turn Up The Quiet

I have concluded that I am not a multi-tasker. I know the female gender prides itself in mastering this attribute, and I apologize to my female readers who are shocked at my confession…but I just can’t do it. I try. I really do. But my life pretty much looks like the above description most of the time. And much of that time, I feel my head on the verge of explosion.

I, personally, do not need any arm-twisting when it comes to my need for solitude. I’m a Solitude Poster Child. Bring it on, Baby, Bring it On!

Honestly, I can’t even hear MYSELF talk most of the time…how in the world would I hear God’s whisper if I didn’t take some time every day to be completely silent?

“I think for anyone who wants to live a spiritual life, solitude is essential.”

~Fr. Henri Nouwen

What about you? Is solitude a priority in your life…or just wishful thinking? If you need a little arm-twisting about your need to turn up the quiet in your life, I’ve compiled a few good reasons you may find inviting, in no particular order.

1. Jesus did it, a lot. For more on that, see my previous post, When We are Silent Part Three: Jesus Models Solitude

2. Solitude is a place where you can let go of all the work and people-related things that make you feel important—appointments, deadlines, telephone calls, e-mail. You cannot be productive or useful in an earthly sense during times of solitude. Therefore, you can find your worth solely in what the Lord thinks of you rather than what you can accomplish or produce.

3. Solitude is a time to turn off the outside voices. Have you ever noticed how many times in just one hour, you are bombarded with marketing ploys trying to convince you that you need something? I can’t turn on the radio, turn a corner in my car, check my e-mail, check out at the grocery store, pick up the phone book or pick up the bag that holds my newspaper without an ad showing up telling me I am incomplete without “this one more thing.” During times of solitude, it’s God’s time to remind us that He truly is the Only One we really need.

4. Solitude is a time to tune out the inner voices. The ones telling you that you are failing, or faltering. The ones telling you that you are unloved or unworthy. In times of solitude, God has a way of cutting through the mental garbage to reveal who we really are in Him. Wholly and dearly loved. The righteousness of God in Christ. His bride, His child and His friend. His sheep who hear His voice and don’t follow the voice of a stranger.

5. Solitude forces us to let go of busyness and hurry. It reminds us that the universe won’t go into a holding pattern because we’ve stepped out for a moment. This Holy Pause then translates into other areas, and we eventually find that we enjoy leaving margins in life. Time to watch the sunrise and enjoy a cup of coffee. Time to curl up and read a good book. Time to take the long way home and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation.

God is not bound by time, so He is able to miraculously re prioritize our days and maximize our minutes. What previously felt like “time wasted” becomes “time well-spent.” The more we practice solitude, the more we appreciate it. The more me appreciate it, the more we crave it. And before we know it, this sacred discipline…for which once we scarcely understood the significance…now becomes one of our most coveted times of the day.

Not sure where to start? Come back later this week for some suggestions.

And be sure to come back Wednesday when I will be having another give-away. Please tell all your friends! You won’t want to miss it.

And if you have a blog, I’d love for you to grab my button on the sidebar. If you aren’t sure how to put it on, just shoot me an e-mail and I’ll tell you how.

Inspiration for this post, including the title, came from the following: