Embracing the silence

Silence is uncomfortable for most people. It used to be really uncomfortable for me, but counseling school change that some. However, while I am happy to use silence in groups and when it's helping others, I don't find myself giving into the silence when it's just me and my soul. Recently I was told a great metaphor as someone described silence as "creating margins" in your life. I edit a LOT of resumes so the margins idea resonated with me.

Margins in a book give the book space. If you're like me, sometimes you have a revelation and want to write it in your book or underline with arrows to the thought you had while reading. The margins become important parts of my memory of that book. It's like the opposite of "edge to edge toppings" on a pizza. Americans live like Donatos Pizza (which is delicious, and off limits to me until Easter).

We fill all the spaces in our lives with toppings - ipods, cell phones, superficial conversations about the weather, coping mechanisms, movies, and TV (or in my case, Hulu). Parker Palmer puts it well: “I had simply found a “noble” way to live a life that was not my own, a life spent imitating heroes instead of listening to my heart.”

I want more margins in my life to listen more to my heart, life and the Holy Spirit God has given me. I want to trust the silence and see what happens.

In the theme of silence, I was stopped by the lyrics of this song recently and will leave you with it today.

I'm turning the world off

Embracing the silence

Walking away from all the voices

That are screaming in my ear

I've been too caught up

I've been so stresses out

And all of the noise replaced the whisper

That used to be so clear