Make time to listen for God’s whispers in the silence

    I recently finished my last semester of college as an undergraduate. Lots of excitement has ensued, as I am graduating after a long six years of hard work and have a brand new job to look forward to.   
    However, I also have had a strange feeling in my gut throughout the last week or two. Having finally finished all of my classes, planning all of my lessons and creating numerous portfolios, I don’t think I knew what to do with myself once it was over.
    I have been working toward obtaining two separate degrees as well as my teaching certification for the past several years. I’ve been doing as much as humanly possible at one time, and that’s all I’ve really known.
    Now that things finally have begun to settle, it’s been quite ironic to see that it’s actually a slower pace I can’t seem to handle as well.
    Upon reflection, however, I don’t really think my situation is unique. Most of us tend to complain about how much we have to do, but when it comes down to it, do we really ever let ourselves sit still?  
    If I were to assign an image to the operation of most people in our American society, it probably would be someone talking on the phone while driving in the car, and it would probably have the slogan “Time is money” attached. We’re always trying to do (at least) two things at once, and the last thing we should be doing with our time is “wasting” it.
    There is, of course, a true spirit of leisure, just as there is a true spirit of work. Yet, even when I think about how most of us spend our leisure time, it seems to be more of the same. We play on our iPads while we watch television or we listen to music while reading a book. This is not to say that any of these options is altogether bad, but it seems that something else is really going on when what really drives us is the need to avoid sitting still.
    We lack time, yet it frightens us. We moan about the hectic burdens of our busy schedules, yet it often seems that what we miss is the time to do even more things. I know I feel this way on a regular basis. There are not enough shows to watch, books to read, places to be – and somehow I still feel overwhelmed by all the options.
    The possibility of long stretches of uninterrupted time can appear dreadful. Clear all of our schedules  and what would we rather do? Where would we find true stillness anyway? When we look around, it is clear to see that places of quiet are becoming more and more scarce.  
    It is not simply enough to escape the noise of the world either. There is the trouble of our own inner noise to deal with as well. Even when it is quiet outside, we are filled with voices of what needs to be done, thoughts of what we have done poorly or reminders of what has been done to us in the past.  
    These voices distract us from here and now – the time and place where we actually exist. They convince us that we will be happy in the future, if only …
    Our world provides ample opportunities for distraction and entertainment. But do we really want a life that simply offers us a distraction from our true condition? Do we merely want to forestall unhappiness momentarily? Or would we rather have a life of true happiness and authentic peace now?
Saints used stillness to grow
    When it comes to the spiritual life, which is the core of all else in our lives, we should know that solitude and quiet are necessary. The saints who have gone before us accomplished many great works in their lives, but their action drew on a quality of stillness. They spent much of their time in prayer and contemplation, and in that quiet and stillness they found a peace that informed all of their other activities.
    Saints are those people who have acquired a taste for the holiness of God, people whose hearts are attuned to the rhythm of love. It is challenging to hear that rhythm amidst the noise and turmoil of daily life. It requires space and time devoted to listening in the silence.  
    There is no particular virtue in staying still simply for the sake of doing so. Stillness finds its spiritual value when it joins a commitment to seek out the depths – to strive for the soul of one’s vocation in life. There is no true peace apart from Christ, who reveals both the depth of our disorder and the depth of God’s love for us. Spending quality time with him in the stillness of our hearts can help us find the way back to our true nature.  
    In one of the most enigmatic stories in the Bible (1 Kings 19:11-12), the Lord makes himself known to Elijah in “a still small voice.”  To hear that same voice of God spoken to us today takes more than just discernment; it also requires some silence.  Typically, we rely on the world to protect us from this silence.  
    As I begin to reflect on my vocation as teacher and prepare myself for the new road that lies before me, I hope to break free from that desire for false protection and get more in touch with the voice of the one who is truly my refuge.
    The more of our time we spend without prayer is actually the time that is wasted. Every moment is given to us from God and so bears God’s will for us. The only way we will know how to spend it rightly is to ask him and listen intently for his answer.
    Our summers are often filled with many different kinds of plans. This summer, I plan to do one thing before all else – to listen more closely for the gentle whisper that tells me, “Be still and know that I am God” so that I can remember who really controls my life and also learn to be more at peace in the present moment.  I hope that you will join me.    
    Rachel Varisco can be reached at rvarisco@clarionherald.org.