The Spiritual Discipline of Silence

On the trail of our favorite loop at Percy Warner Park

Austin and I decided (somewhat last minute) to get up early today and drive to Percy Warner Park to hike our favorite five mile loop.  Although it's July and insanely hot, this loop is always surprisingly cool, covered by what seems like thousands of trees.  There's something about being outside like this that feeds my soul.  I love everything about it--the sights, the smells, the sounds.  More appropriately, the lack of sound is what I always notice.  It's so quiet and peaceful--you can't help but look at your surroundings and feel extreme gratitude for God's beauty displayed in nature.  Austin and I commented on how much we love this, how we can't wait to for a little one to join us on our hiking trips one day.  On my trip down to Atlanta this week, I caught part of a radio show talking about the spiritual discipline of silence.  Admittedly, this is not a topic I've spent a lot of time studying on.  In thinking about our time hiking this morning and how refreshed we both felt afterwards, I wanted to read up on the spiritual discipline of silence.  What I learned is that there are times to speak to God and there are times simply to behold and adore Him in silence.  This is confirmed in Isaiah 30:15, which connects silence before God with faith in Him: "For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, 'In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength."  Sometimes simply spending time outdoors, disconnected, beholding the beauty of God's creation in silence can be an act of worship.  My life can seem so frantic at times, fast-paced, always moving, never still, never quiet.  I need to remember the discipline of silence and how restoring it is for my soul.  Thank you Lord for a wonderful day!