Clay in the Hands

I am in the midst of taking advantage of a gift.  Kristi has given me the gift of two days away for a personal retreat – just me, my computer, a couple of legal pads, my Bible and a stack of blank file folders.  I have come to a Christian camp out in the middle of nowhere.  It sits down in a canyon where there is no cell service.  Believe it or not, there is wireless internet but it makes dial up look crazy fast – which isn’t a bad thing – it has kept me focused on the reason for my being here.

I have come to pray and plan.  In two weeks, I will begin my journey as senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Littlefield.  I am looking forward to getting started and have come to pray and think through God’s direction for the church and my leadership there.  Monday was very productive and I pray today will be as well.

Last night, I took an hour to sit on the porch of the cabin and look at the stars. It was a beautiful west Texas evening with a clear sky and a very pleasant temperature.  The canyon walls were silhouetted by the stars and the random security lights scattered through out the camp.  It was very peaceful and reflective.  The only thing I would change would have been the constant roar of a motor that ran continuously just out of sight in a field above the canyon wall.  The more I sat and meditated on God’s beautiful creation, the more frustrated I became with the incessant rumble of the motor.

But it finally dawned on me that we live in a world that is full of noise.  We are surrounded by it.  We can’t escape – not even in a remote area such as the camp in the bottom of the canyon.  I became even more aware of the need that each of us have to shut out the rat race – even if just for a brief time every day – and spend time alone with God.  Being able to silence the world around us may not be likely, but we can silence ourselves in the midst of it and listen for God.  Silence is a very important spiritual practice – one that leads to inner peace and communion with God.

How do you practice silence in your spiritual walk?