SILENCE

2 : absence of sound or noise : stillness

In a few days, I'll leave for a women's retreat. My favorite part of this retreat is the time of solitude and silence on Saturday morning. We will start our day with a concert of prayer and then eighty or so women will disperse quietly for a few hours alone with God. This was first incorporated into the retreat two years ago and I found I loved it. So much so that at last year's retreat, I opted out of our afternoon small groups to have more solitude time.

I love that the above definition of silence incorporates not only a lack of sound, but stillness. Because it's the stillness of silence that I really love. I love feeling my body and my soul become still as I soak up the silence.

This year's retreat will be a slightly different experience for me because I am the featured speaker. While I have no aspirations to be a public speaker, I felt a strong pull to share what I've learned over the last two years. So my silence here on my blog is largely in preparation for sharing at the retreat. I've felt a need to keep my thoughts inside and let them grow in my heart and mind.

Up until recently, I had been so focused on finishing my presentation and having hand-outs prepared that I hadn't stopped to think about the fact that I will get to receive at this retreat as well as give. Because I still get to participate in our time of solitude on Saturday and I know what blessings this time has brought me in the past. Until that time, I'll be cultivating a bit of silence here in cyberspace and praying that you find time in your life to quiet the noises around you, still your soul and listen.