Mar
24

In the Silence

Author Steven Cribbs    Category Life     Tags

What would you do if you found yourself in a place that was totally void of other people? An empty room, hall at the mall, park, or even an auditorium…

Miller auditorium stagephoto © 2008 Jacob Enos | more info (via: Wylio)

It seems like we are always surrounded by people, noise and clutter. A quiet, still moment is all but extinct in most of our daily routines.

Growing up, I had opportunities to be in my church when there were not a whole lot of other people around. What would I do when no one else was around? Run down the halls making weird noises that would generally get dirty looks? Ok, I’ve done that a few times. However, one of my favorite things was to go into the silent, dark sanctuary and sit down at the piano.

Imagine with me…

The lights are off and no other audible sounds are in the room. I sit quietly for a moment. And then, I begin to pray through my fingertips. Sometimes it was a song I knew; and sometimes I would just make something up. Sometimes there were words; and other times it was just the melodic sound of a beautiful grand piano. Sometimes it was a quiet, intimate prayer; and sometimes it was a bold proclamation of God’s character. And often times it was a cry for God’s help in my life. Always, though, it was a song sung to my Savior. It was a chance to spend time with God in a special place. It was a time of intentionally letting go of everything else and letting my heart connect with Jesus. Those were beautiful moments.

“[The Lord] says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ ” (Psalm 46:10a).  Being still is not the same as doing nothing.  It is an action by its own right and requires intentionality.

Question:  If you could go anywhere and spend an hour, or an afternoon, being still with God, where would you go and what would you do?  You can leave your comment below.

15 Comments to “In the Silence”

  • Jeff Randleman March 24, 2011 at 9:47 am

    I live in southern Missouri. There si a pretty extensive hiking network called the Ozark Trail, and it’s about 300 miles in length. Where would I go? I’d hit the trail. A pack of water, some beef jerky, a Bible, me and God. That’s what I’d do.

    Thanks for the thoughts!

    • Brandon March 24, 2011 at 9:55 am

      That sounds good!

    • Steven Cribbs March 24, 2011 at 10:11 am

      I love the mountains – getting out into the middle of nowhere; not being able to hear modern civilization (like cars); totally enjoying God’s creation! I hope to introduce my kids to the hiking in the mountains soon. And I would definitely go for taking the beef jerky!!

  • Brandon March 24, 2011 at 9:53 am

    Great post!

  • Josh Hood March 24, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    Beautiful post, Steven.
    I’ve done the exact same thing many, many times. If I had a dollar for every note I’ve played on the piano in an empty, dimly lit church, I would be a wealthy man.

    • Steven Cribbs March 24, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Thanks Josh!
      We may not be rich in dollars here in this world; but, I bet all the notes have added up to something much better…

    • Gail April 27, 2011 at 1:38 am

      You sound like a PK! I remember doing piano practise in the empty church hall during the week as a little kid.

      • Steven Cribbs April 27, 2011 at 1:15 pm

        Well…not a PK…but, my mom was the church organist 🙂

  • Adam March 24, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    I would go for a walk in the woods or on the beach, Somethign about being outside for me in a quiet place really puts me at peace and slows things down for me.

    • Steven Cribbs March 25, 2011 at 12:20 pm

      I totally agree with you. I love being outside – there is definitely something peaceful about it.

  • victor March 26, 2011 at 11:53 am

    I like Your blog, keep up the good work.

    • Steven Cribbs March 26, 2011 at 10:25 pm

      Hey Victor, thanks for the encouragement. It means a lot!

  • Top 5 Posts for March « Steven Cribbs April 1, 2011 at 8:11 am

    […] In the Silence […]

  • Gail April 27, 2011 at 1:37 am

    If I could find a lonely flat grassy field, mountains as backdrop and a creek nearby providing music where I could sit, lay or dance with Jesus – that would be perfect 🙂

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