This year, I have really desired to increase my prayer life. I feel like I have put some good disciplines in place to speak with God, but conversation is a two-way street. I cannot have a real conversation with someone by telling them all I’m dealing with and not allowing them a chance to respond. God has reminded me about the discipline of silence and solitude. Today, I decided to take a step of faith and stop what I was doing to sense His presence and hear His voice.
I made a conscience decision this morning to stop everything for five minutes today. I thought five minutes was doable. I didn’t want to set the bar too high. I pulled into a parking lot at a park and stopped the car. I wanted to give God an opportunity to work while having my full attention. I can’t teach my kids to do anything if they won’t stop and pay attention to what I’m saying, and God is no different. I wanted to make sure that I was not distracted by other activities. I decided to put the tailgate down and see if I could sense His presence.
This first minute seemed strange. I almost forgot what it’s like to be still. Then I noticed I could feel the breeze of the wind. As I looked I saw the tree branches dance back and forth. The rustling of the leaves accompanied by the chirping of the birds was wonderful. I felt at peace. It was as if all life was enjoying the same peace that I was experiencing. I felt His calmness within me. It was gentle and refreshing. It was so different than the busyness of the day. I felt like if there was something God wanted to say, and I was finally in a place to receive it.
As I looked towards the street, I noticed I was near an intersection. One road had the right of way while the other had a stop sign. As I watched, I saw what must have been 10 cars roll through that stop sign. Not one driver came to a complete stop. Some didn’t even stop at all; they just blew through it. God spoke to me in that moment. I need to come to a complete stop, just for a moment, but I need to do it.
I’m excited to start putting the discipline of silence and solitude into practice. I don’t want to ignore the sign. Jesus practiced this discipline often. We need to follow in His footsteps. By coming to a complete stop, we can sense His presence and hear His voice. It’s not a matter of finding the time; it’s a decision to make it.