It is that time of year again when many of us who are deep in the midst of cold and snow hunker down and cozy in for a period of reflection and silence.
There is something that is so hauntingly beautiful and quiet about the way the snow falls from the sky, silently blanketing everything in pure white. A new beginning of sorts that beckons us to become more silent as well. Each year I find after the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year’s my soul often seeks out silence and reflection to think about what the year ahead may bring.
A friend offered this beautiful piece on her Facebook page and it was one of those pieces that caused me to stop scrolling and sit to think more about the space beyond prayer and the moment when one truly dissolves into the silence…
As my prayer become more attentive and inward
I had less and less to say.
I finally became completely silent.
I started to listen
– which is even further removed from speaking.
I first thought that praying entailed speaking.
I then learnt that praying is hearing,
not merely being silent.
This is how it is.
To pray does not mean to listen to oneself speaking,
Prayer involves becoming silent,
And being silent,
And waiting until God is heard.
~ Søren Kierkegaard
If you are interested in cultivating more silence in your life, sign up for my free 40 Days of Silence offering here.
May this New Year hold the possibilities of new beginnings and new discoveries that await you in the silence that invites you home.
Erica Staab 