When the music stops what do I hear?
The lack of beautiful music leaves my mind to race to and fro. Thought to thought I can hardly stop my busy mind as it runs through the forest. This feeling is quite natural but at the same time feels oh so foreign to me. For four out of the past five years I have learned to rejoice in the silence of solitude. Stepping away for times of refreshing walks by the river and hours of restful quite in my room. This past year I have dreaded the thought of silence because I have felt that my mind was out of control. Thoughts flashing through my mind would captivate my emotions and steal the affections of my soul. Therefore I learned how to silence those thoughts by two main techniques. First, to keep myself busy leaving no room for silence in my life. Second, keep noise as a filler in the background slowing my thoughts and refocus them on that which truly matter. This tactic is not one that I fear or desire to change but for the next season I will silence this music for the sake of hearing a much louder noise.
Often in my personal prayer life I keep saying the same things over and over to the Father. He desires much more out of our communication than simply repeating my needs, wants, and desires like his is not actually listening. The Father wants this relationship to be an actual relationship. One in which one person speaks and the other listens, then the other speaks and the first listens. My relationship with the Father is often one sided because I do not make time in my life to listen. This silence that is being created is slowly opening my ears so that his voice fills my ears!
All is Great in the House of the Most High,
Paul Shackelford
The lack of beautiful music leaves my mind to race to and fro. Thought to thought I can hardly stop my busy mind as it runs through the forest. This feeling is quite natural but at the same time feels oh so foreign to me. For four out of the past five years I have learned to rejoice in the silence of solitude. Stepping away for times of refreshing walks by the river and hours of restful quite in my room. This past year I have dreaded the thought of silence because I have felt that my mind was out of control. Thoughts flashing through my mind would captivate my emotions and steal the affections of my soul. Therefore I learned how to silence those thoughts by two main techniques. First, to keep myself busy leaving no room for silence in my life. Second, keep noise as a filler in the background slowing my thoughts and refocus them on that which truly matter. This tactic is not one that I fear or desire to change but for the next season I will silence this music for the sake of hearing a much louder noise.
Often in my personal prayer life I keep saying the same things over and over to the Father. He desires much more out of our communication than simply repeating my needs, wants, and desires like his is not actually listening. The Father wants this relationship to be an actual relationship. One in which one person speaks and the other listens, then the other speaks and the first listens. My relationship with the Father is often one sided because I do not make time in my life to listen. This silence that is being created is slowly opening my ears so that his voice fills my ears!
All is Great in the House of the Most High,
Paul Shackelford