Silence of the Season
By Cara Croft
I have spent my weeks rushing around. Taking kids here and there, trying to get Christmas shopping done in the midst of a pandemic. Trying to squeeze in work and life all at the same time. Oh, and somewhere in there make time to spend with God. Then this blog post hit. 2 months ago, I agreed to write about spending some time in silence with God. Two months ago, it was easier to do. Two months ago, it sounded easy and like a great idea. Then the holiday season came upon me and somehow it has gone from the beginning of November to almost Christmas in about 2 days. It was today that I realized I had to write this post and I had to write about the very thing I had neglected in my life. Silence. Stillness. Quiet.
I could write a long post about why we need it, the benefits of doing it, and the beauty of communing with God in this way. However, today I just want to simply walk you through it. 10 minutes. That is all it takes today. 10 minutes to still your soul and commune with God in a new way. 10 minutes to breathe deeply and allow our bodies and souls to rest in Christ. Let me walk you through it:
Start by setting a timer for 10 minutes so that you don’t have to keep opening your eyes and looking at the time! Just let the clock do its work.
Pick a simple Bible verse, could be out of the psalms, could be words of Christ, but something short and easy to repeat to yourself. For this Christmas season it is fitting to use the words of Mary to walk you through this exercise. Luke 1:46-47, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. Read that verse over 5 times, each time a little slower and emphasizing different words.
Next close your eyes. Notice your breathing and start to slow it down. Inhale for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 3 and then exhale for 5 seconds. Do this for the next minute. As you inhale try to notice any tension in your body and as exhale try to relax those parts.
As you are slowly breathing start to repeat this verse to yourself. For example, as you inhale say “My soul magnifies the Lord” and as you exhale “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. You don’t have to understand all this verse means, you don’t have to think about applications to your life. No questioning if you are actually magnifying or rejoicing in the Lord. Just keep breathing and repeating the verse as you breathe.
Finally, just sit silent and listen. At first you will notice many distractions. The sounds your house make, the rumbling of your stomach, the groaning of the dog. You may have many distracting thoughts of all of the things you need to get done for the day, or even questioning if 10 minutes has passed and how much longer you are supposed to do this exercise. Anytime those thoughts come up just take a deep breath and repeat this verse to yourself and then go back to sitting silent again. Try to do this for 5 to 7 minutes.
Finally, take one more deep breath and repeat this verse to yourself one more time and then slowly open your eyes. Take a moment to just be, no need to jump up and start rushing around. Take your time, take a sip of coffee, read a scripture, or just sit.
It is important in this season of busyness, this season of hurry and tension, to take a moment and “be still” before God. There may be no “big revelations” from God, there may be no deep conviction of sin. This is just a time to be quiet, listen, and rest in the presence of our loving God.
Cara Croft is wife to Brian, mother to 4 adult/teenage children, and currently finishing her Master's degree in Christian Counseling. She enjoys counseling, reading, and growing in learning to care for the suffering. Cara is also the Director of Counseling Ministry at Practical Shepherding.