Fountains of Life

Silence is Golden

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In this day and age, it’s often difficult to find times of silence. For instance, no talking, no television, no music — nothing. The world buzzes around us full-time and if we want to “be still and know that He is God” (Ps.46:10) then we usually have to work at finding a quiet time and place. I tend to encounter my solace out in nature — like the beach, on the water, or in the woods.

However, stillness isn’t our nature in this modern world with so much technology and impulses at our fingertips. Even in much of our worship services we keep a background sound “pad” going in-between songs so people won’t feel “awkward” in the silence. Really? Maybe we need to feel that awkwardness of silence.

In fact, John Main, a teacher of Christian meditation, says: “Silence is necessary if the human spirit is to thrive and to be creative. Silence releases a creative response to life, to our environment and friends because it gives our spirit room to breathe, room to be. In silence we do not have to justify ourselves, apologize or impress anyone. Just be.” (From Word Made Flesh)

When the Lord chose to reveal Himself to Elijah in 1 Kings 19, what transpired was first a violent wind passed by, then an earthquake happened, then a fire came — but the Lord wasn’t in any of these things. Yet after the fire, a gentle whisper, God’s voice spoke. Isn’t it just like that today? We usually have to shut out all the noise and commotion to hear His voice. But this can be hard to do — for many reasons.

One main reason is that when we are silent it will reveal what’s in our heart. That’s why it feels so uncomfortable. We actually start seeing our motives, our inner turmoil, our hurts and disappointments, so it’s not always fun to sit still with ourselves. 

But silence also will restore. Taking the time to rest in God’s presence lets Him wash over you, to cleanse and heal. In His presence there is fullness of joy (Ps.16:11), but we just have to stay there long enough. 

I imagine when King David was a shepherd out in the middle of nowhere with his sheep, looking up at the multitude of stars, having no TV or cellphone to watch sports or stupid cat videos on, things were quite still. No wonder his psalms are so intimate and personal. He got to know God in that stillness. 

It’s interesting that the world has done studies on silence and why it truly is “golden” as they say. But as Christians, think about it — how else are we expecting God to hear from the Lord? 

One of my favorite quiet places to hear from the Lord is sitting on my surfboard in the ocean. Usually there are no boats around so all I hear are birds and the waves crashing. For me, it’s easier to sense His presence there than anywhere else. He even sends dolphins to cruise by, just for me, because He loves me.  

“To be still, to be silent, is the lesson, and in that stillness and silence we find ourselves in God, in love.” (John Main, The Way of Unknowing)

Silence truly is golden — actually, it’s worth more than gold. Try to find you some this week

Becoming Like My Pup

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Some of you may have read a couple of my lessons from my puppy articles. Well, I think I may be slowly transforming into my pup. I’m starting to learn to take time to enjoy the present moment like she does. (See article.)

This morning as I was eating a strawberry, I happened to notice that it was pretty sweet. “Wow!” I thought. Then I closed my eyes and took another bite, savoring the juices and enjoying the taste of it. Such a simple thing, yet it brought a touch of joy to my morning.

Most mornings I take Dasha, our husky puppy, on a walk through the neighborhood. And lately, her sniffer has been going crazy! 

Here in North Florida it’s beginning to feel more like Fall. The humidity is down, the temperatures have dropped a bit, and a the wind is blowing. It smells like Fall too! We Floridians have a thing when it gets September and October and the hurricanes pass us by off the Atlantic coast. We love the feel and the scent of them! (Or maybe I’m just speaking for myself.)

I particularly love the nor’easters and what we call “fish storms”— the hurricanes that stay out to sea — that bring the wind and waves to the coastline but never hit land. There’s a special mood about them. 

So yesterday I sat outside, closed my eyes, and just absorbed the atmosphere, like Dasha our pup does. I felt the breeze on my face, heard the wind chimes tinkling continually, and smelt the fragrance of the air. What a stress reliever! I could feel myself relax in the presence of the Lord as I thought of the verse, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps.46:10)

To me, knowing that Father God is always with me (Matt.28:20), and feeling His presence from His creation is very calming and nourishing to both my body and soul. As the Creator, He holds all things in His hands, and that includes me! Taking the time to feel this powerful yet gentle force gives me such a grounding. 

And thus, maybe I am starting to learn lessons from my pup — to simply enjoy the taste of a strawberry, the smells in the air, or the wind in my face, and rejoice in the sweet joy of my salvation. Try it yourself. 

Another Lesson From My Puppy

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By Cyndi

Most mornings I take Dasha, our 9-month-old puppy, on a walk in our neighborhood. It’s early so her senses are wide-awake and smelling everything! Regularly, as we’re walking, she sees a lizard and spastically pounces to catch it, jerking my arm and, at 42 pounds, sometimes almost pulling me down. The tiny creature usually escapes but my shoulders become tired of this lurching around in multiple directions. “Good thing we have a leash that’s a little stretchy,” I think. 

And here comes another lesson from my puppy.

That stretchiness of the leash acts like a shock absorber for my arms. It has some “give” in it so it’s not taut all the time. It yields a little. So I hear the Spirit saying to me, “Maybe you should be more like this leash; not so stiff and stressed out. Have some ‘give.’” Oh boy.

Interesting thought. I do find myself oftentimes wanting to hurry through the day — to get things done, drive home faster, hustle from one thing to another, but for what? So I can then finally relax?!

“The leash is part of the walk,” I hear the Lord say. “Chill out. Don’t be so tense!” He whispers. (That’s how He talks to me, friends.)

Climbers who scale huge cliffs hundreds of feet high, use safety ropes in case they fall. These ropes absorb what would be a very sudden shock if they fell, giving them a little “spring” instead of a jerk at the end. If it didn’t have any springiness, it could really cause some major harm to the person. 

Emotionally, we’re not equipped to carry a heavy load all the time. We’re not meant to be “strung out” or “wound tight.” We need some “give” and “elasticity” in our beings like a dog leash or a climber’s rope.

In Matt. 11:28 Jesus tells us to “Come unto Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I believe this is an invitation, not just for the end of the day when things are finally done, but for the journey throughout the day. I want to be resting in Father’s love instead of emotionally getting yanked around by various “lizard chasings” all day. 

I need to keep my pliancy — my ability to be jerked by these daily unexpected happenings yet still be at rest and maintain my peace. 

So, my dear reader, I have set a goal —  to walk through life on a stretchy leash. I want to be able to absorb anything the world throws at me while still reflecting a semblance of my Father to others. I think I may need a really long one though.

Lessons From My Puppy

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So we have this new dog, right? And let me tell you, it’s a real test of patience and understanding sometimes! She’s still a puppy, about eight months old now, and there are moments when she can be — well — trying. Yet God has a way of using everything, even her, to deal with me. 

The other morning I got up pretty early and did my usual routine of taking her outside to potty first thing. It was still a bit dark and the humidity was up (as it usually is here in Florida during the summer). My patience was running thin as I was beginning to sweat and wanted her to hurry up and do her “business” so we could go back into the cool house, but she continued wandering around the backyard sniffing the air and just wanting to sit and enjoy the dawning of the day.

Then the little Voice came to me: “Why don’t you be more like your pup?”

“What about my pup? She’s just wasting time aimlessly wandering around — I’m hot!” Discerning this was a teaching moment from Father God, I surrendered and said, “Okay. Let me stop for a moment and observe her.”

I watched as she sat looking up at the few remaining stars that were about to fade as the sunrise peeped through the trees. I watched as she perked her ears up to hear the birds beginning to chirp at the day’s breaking. Creation was speaking the newness of the morn, praising their Creator for a brand new start. The old song from Lamentations 3:22-23 immediately rose up in me: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord. Great is Thy faithfulness.”

I smiled. Yes, great is Your faithfulness, Lord. This morning You were just wanting to remind me of Your goodness as I was about to zoom right past it to get to my daily “devotions.” Little did I consider that His presence was already there in the backyard with my puppy. I think God smiled too.

There are other lessons I’m learning from my puppy, but for now, let me simply encourage you, my dear reader, to stop for a moment — to be still and know that He is God. (Ps.46:10) Every morning receive His mercies and rejoice in His faithfulness. If you’re like me, you may need a puppy to help you remember. God is always good. 

Put Your Own Mask on First

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I seem to be running into countless people these days who are too tired, overworked, or busy to take care of themselves. They are great people who care about those around them — they’re running friends to doctor’s appointments, working overtime at work, volunteering at church every week, homeschooling kids, or a plethora of other marvelous deeds — but they’re not eating well or exercising. So much time and effort is being put into others that they themselves are feeling worn out and drained. 

Whenever I hear someone say this to me, I’m reminded about the safety instructions they give you on a plane. You know, the ones the flight attendants review as you’re pulling away from the gate. There’s that part where they say, “In the event of a decrease of pressure, masks will drop from overhead. Please put your own mask on first before helping the person next to you.” Usually, if this is a video, they show a mother putting her mask on then helping her child with theirs. It looks so precious. But why is this so important?

You see, if you don’t have your own oxygen mask on to enable you to breathe, you may not be capable of helping anyone else with theirs. You might even pass out, and where would little Suzy be then, huh?

Think about Jesus. Mark 1:35 says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Jesus took time for Himself — first! First thing in the morning He connected with God and filled Himself up before going to give out to others. He put His own mask on first (figuratively speaking, of course).  

Here’s a few other verses that come to mind:

  • Matt.11:28 — Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
  • 1 Pet. 5:7 — Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
  • Isa. 26:3 — You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 

It’s very clear that we need to take time to rest our bodies, our minds, our emotions, and get rejuvenated so that we may have something to give out to other people. Boxers take a time out between rounds, and most sports have some sort of a “halftime” to regroup and refresh — and so must we! 

We are of no use to anyone as tired, empty shells, putzing along barely making it “by the grace of God.” I believe God wants us to witness to the world as a vibrant and “living sacrifice.” He wants us to be alive! It’s in Him we move and have our being! (Acts 17:28) But we have to take a time out and get with Him first!

So my dear reader —You can’t give out of what you don’t have. If there’s no coffee in the pot, you can’t pour any out. And please, put on your own mask first, then, by all means, help someone else with theirs. 

By Cyndi