4 Weeks of Solitude

2008 October 28

by Tyler

Over the past month I’ve been spending 5 to 10 minutes a day in silence and solitude (you can read about why I did this HERE). I know, I know…pretty pathetic. But, better than nothing.

In the name of full disclosure I should say that I did not completely keep my pact. There are plenty of days when I completely forgot, but I still believe I got a great deal out of this practice and still practiced solitude at least 5 days a week. I learned very quickly that even though I am an introvert at heart, finding silence in my day is a difficult thing to do. While this practice was a great challenge for me I came away with three very distinct lessons.

I learned that quietness is rare in my life. Being more introverted I love spending time on my own. My wife can’t stand it, but I love those times. The problem is that those times are filled with watching television, listening to music, using the internet, reading a book, etc. The point is, my life is full of noise even when I’m alone. Sure I can be on my own, but I don’t like to hear my own thoughts or be quiet enough to hear God’s voice in my life. I know this is one area of my life that I simply do not let God in to use me. I crowd my day with noise and stuff instead of giving him space (even 5 minutes) to comfort my mind, heart, and soul. It would be easy for someone to say that 5 minutes is barely enough to relax your muscles, but I learned quickly that a lot can change in 5 minutes. God can do a lot with any amount of time given to Him. I now find that I not only enjoy time by myself but I look to find quiet moments in those times.
Times of silence and solitude take me back to life’s purpose. During one of my times of silence something hit me: True solitude takes me away from the menial things I do daily and back to God. It is my pursuit of Him that is my life’s purpose; all the other things are just frivolous. I spend the great majority of my day on those frivolous things and I’m seeing more and more my personal need for solitude. Nothing else brings me back to the Father. It is easy to get lost in life. Life is full of opportunities; it is quite easy to never slow down, especially if you have money. The possibilities are endless. Yet, I hear God calling me to a time of solitude, that I might be drawn back to his purpose for me life. All of the pulls of life can’t hold me back from that.
I learned that while God can certainly speak through the noise of life, he also speaks with a quiet voice, a voice that is normally drowned out by the noise of a typical suburban lifestyle. Even though I am terrible about reducing noise in my life, I have experienced the blessing that it can become. When we purposely reduce crowding in our lives, we do become less captivated by our demands and expectations. I have very little idea about how or why, but I know it works. I want to do a better job of reducing noise in my life, to allow God’s quiet voice to be heard by me loud and clear.

This entire process has been incredibly life giving. I have found a new peace I have in my relationship with Chris. Knowing that even when life gets crazy all it takes is a few minutes of silence for Him to speak into the depths of my soul.

Have you ever practiced the discipline of silence and solitude?

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http://ash-nits.blogspot.com ash

it’s interesting. i enjoy time on my own…for different things and in different ways. but i do get that solitude often, usually by default b/c of say…our schedules or whatever. so what ends up happening is i have to have some time around people. can’t be too much an isolationist. wink.

but you’re right, spending time alone…can be so productive for my mind, my heart, my prayers…whatever. it’s this idea of rest, for me, that makes such time profitable. it is the place where all the swarming thoughts that confuse me and plague me filter out, even if just for that moment…
http://www.aworshipfulheart.typepad.com jan owen

this practice has really been – as Henri Nouwen put it – “the furnace of my own transformation”. I’ve started purposefully leaving off the radio and tv more often so I can be attentive to God and not distracted by other things. I am alone alot at this stage in my life. My husband travels most weeks and my two older kids are off at college and my youngest is 17 and busy, so I am home alone alot of evenings. I have experienced solitude and silence in two ways: as life just thrust it upon me against my will due to our family circumstances and also as I took time to go away on quarterly retreats. BOTH ways really contributed to some deep spiritual transformation, even when I didn’t like it. In the midst of a very difficult time in my life God led me to alot of verses about this, most notably this verse from Psalm 37:7 “Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.” (stop doing and allow God to!) When I practice quietness it has helped me to become more intent on my relationship with God – with being with Him not doing for Him, if that makes sense. When I am silent and not intent on doing, I am forced to trust God with what I think I should be accomplished during those moments. God spoke to me very forcefully during a retreat last fall and I feel led to share this verse with you Tyler – “The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.” (Is. 30:15) For me, silence and solitude has become that mode of being that allows me to fully rest in God’s love and wait openly for His word to me.
http://godside.livejournal.com Kurt Brandemihl

Did you ever accidently pass gas during your times of silence and solitude? If you did…then did you have to restart the clock?
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

haha wow. no i can’t ever think of a time when that happened. but if it did, no i would not “start over.”
Deana

no…sad to say….as I read/see more and more how God speaks so powerfully directly to His people…not as a ‘crowd’. Is it because I might be afraid of what God might ask of me…who knows….certainly I know this should be a priority and goal to spend time in silence and solitude with my Lord.