“Real sustained silence, the kind that facilitates clear and creative thinking, quiets inner chatter as well as outer.” — Justin Talbot-Zorn and Leigh Marz, Harvard Business Review
I inevitably think of Luci Shaw after reading a quote about “real sustained silence.” Shaw offers many thoughts on the role of silence in active faith and artistic expression. For example, she says in Breath for the Bones, “Silence and solitude leave us undistracted so that the messages can arrive undistorted, clear, and true. […] For artists, this combination of discipline and listening-receiving is a true cornerstone” (79).
I can’t help but agree. Sitting in the silence hushes the thoughts circling in my brain. I stop trying to figure out what to write and simply write. I let go of “supposed to” and “should” and rest in who I am rather than what I do.
As that process occurs — and it takes time and a lot of practice and disciplined effort — I become receptive. My heart, spirit, and mind come into alignment as God’s word informs my day, work, and life. He guides me forward, and I discover words waiting for me.
I love these words because they surprise me. They bubble up instead of having to be tugged out. They rest on absolute truth. These words always, always refresh my spirit and mind. They help me write the other words, the words that serve clients and reside in the realm of small business financing and cloud computing.
I don’t find these Spirit-given words without settling into the silence, though. The silence speaks. It is rich and filled with glories and wonders. I welcome the silence in, and, in inviting it in, I find a quiet place, a refuge, a shelter in which to be and to be still and listen.
Image: Rousseau (Creative Commons)