In the Wilderness
When you read the words SILENCE and SOLITUDE what comes to your mind? Do you want to turn and run the other way? Do you want to have more of these in your life? Are these already woven into your days?
Here is what Merriam-Webster has to say about these words -
Silence: forbearance from speech or noise, absence of sound or noise
Solitude: the quality or state of being alone or remote from society, a lonely place
In Matthew 4 we see Jesus going into the wilderness for a 40-day fast. These 40 days were full of silence and solitude. I’m actually so curious about what Jesus did during this time. I calculated it this week and that is 960 hours of time spent, it seems, alone in the wilderness. Obviously, he spent time talking with God during those days as he fasted and prayed. He probably also meditated on and recited the parts of scripture that he had memorized while growing up.
Jesus was fully human, in addition to being fully God, so I wonder, did he also find comfy spots just to lay down and take a nap? Did he sit with his toes dangling in the water relaxing by a stream? Did he find a grassy area to lay down and imagine the pictures he could see in the clouds? Did he feel grumpy because he hadn’t eaten? Did he get bored? Did random thoughts run through his mind as he tried to be still? Did he want to rush to the end of the 40 days and get on with things?
We don’t have a detailed account of those 40 days, and what we do know focuses on the way that Jesus’s time alone prepared him for the temptations that he would endure. But man, I sure would love to hear a podcast where Jesus is interviewed and asked about his experience in the wilderness.
So, what does it look like for us to practice silence and solitude in our daily lives? This practice will look different for each of us, but the commonalities happen when we find a space and time to get alone and set aside all distractions so that we can be with God.
There might be seasons in our journey when this means we need to literally get away to a different place for a period of time. Maybe we need to travel to the mountains or the beach. Perhaps we need to rent space at a retreat center. How often we need this kind of respite depends on our individual personalities and stories.
But I think that silence and solitude can be found in our everyday life, as a part of our regular rhythms. It might be that you choose to get up before everyone in your home to have a block of alone time, or maybe you are a night owl and stay up for a bit once everyone is in bed. If you drive a lot for work you might find that time in the car is the perfect place to be alone, or you might need to set aside time each day to go for a walk or a bike ride instead.
Many of us are able to carve out time and space to be alone, but we might struggle with the silence. I know that this part is difficult for me. Sometimes when I sit in silence I am inundated with a list of tasks I need to complete. It can be helpful for me to have a notebook handy so that I can jot down any tasks that come to mind during this time. If I write them down then I know I won’t forget about them later, but I don’t need to tend to them at that moment.
It is also easy for me to get distracted by devices when I am trying to be silent. I have found having my phone set to do not disturb can help. If you know that your devices will be a distraction then try moving them to a different location away from you.
If sitting in silence with God, without talking, without music, without any distractions is new to you, then you might start out being silent for just a minute or two as you navigate all of the feelings that pop up when you begin this new practice. What do you sense in your body as you try to sit alone in silence? Do you feel overwhelmed, annoyed, frustrated, distracted, at rest, sad, happy, etc?
After you’ve had a few minutes of silence, practicing just being with God, then you could follow that with reading your Bible and prayer. After engaging in Bible reading and prayer you might decide to end with another minute or so of silence. Over time you will probably notice that the time given to silence will grow and likely become something you look forward to each day.
This is just one possible suggestion of what might work for you. There isn’t a formula to follow, rather there is an invitation for you to make space to abide with your good father. God desires to be with you on a regular basis. Jesus's example in the wilderness reminds us that in the silence and solitude God is at work preparing us for what is ahead.
As we practice silence and solitude may we grow in our ability to recognize God’s presence in all of the moments of our day.
~ Melissa