Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Cultivating Silence

November 12, 2016

Hmmm, I wrote this back in February – before Lent – and thinking it’s time to revisit it. Advent is like a little Lent anyway, but the need to become quieter, especially now, has come to the front of my mind again.

I love the movie Into Great Silence and there are times I crave what those monks have and yet I’m not even sure of what it is. They have a peacefulness about them, they are drawn more to the outdoors and nature, they are drawn to God through silence within and without. There is no internet (except for the one monk who pays the bills), no phones, no distractions at all.

In my world there are loads of distractions: kids fighting, toilets overflowing, errand running, and on and on. However, I add distractions to those distractions in the form of internet, tv watching, and (sometimes) play more than my usual 30 minutes of Animal Crossing.

So, I have been thinking on this for quite some time – silence and how to cultivate it in myself. I’m not a quiet person, but I’ve been increasingly feeling the need to become quieter inside and to still some of the noise around me as well. Well, the noise that is within my power to still. I think it’s time to try. Keep my distractions at near zero so that I can listen to the One who I should be listening to the most.

So, the first thing will be cutting mindless tv and internet viewing. I hardly ever watch tv anyway, but I turn it on in the morning just to see what’s on. Of course, if there is iffy weather approaching, I will watch weather for that – that’s an essential in the middle of the U.S.. But then there is the mindless QVC watching – yeah, that’s a distraction. That needs to go.

Self help books and magazines, except for the ones that I’m using directly in the things I’m making a change in, will need to lay around like lumps. Instead, prayer will replace them. Maybe I’ll do a personal divine office if you will. Every so often sit and pray or meditate for 5 minutes.

Take more time to be with my kids and do things with them. Yeah, I know, I’m with them a lot due to the homeschooling, but you know sometimes I’m more teacher than mom and I need to make sure I’m mom as much as I can. Last night Becky and I played three rounds of Mille Bournes and afterwards Maggie and Katie came along and the four of us talked. That’s what I (and they) need more of.

Luckily I hardly ever touch my cell phone except to make an actual call, take an actual call, or text someone intentionally so I’m ok there.

Then there’s the talking I do. Like I said, I’m not a quiet person – I tend to need to fill any kind of silence with something. So, maybe less talking and more listening and thinking about what I really want to say? I don’t know – maybe that’s an advanced level for later but I can always do less talking.

So, there it is. Cultivating silence for Lent – hopefully it will be the beginning of a new relationship with the Lord for me.

Okay – first of all – I think I’m replacing doing with doing? Where does the silence and solitude come in? I actually bought a book on that so maybe it’s time to dust it off and attempt these spiritual disciplines. I will say that I have cut back on tv and internet this year. I have felt the tug recently to eschew self-help stuff and think – what did people used to do before everyone told them what to do? Time to think on that again too. Okay – enough deep stuff for today, but good to ponder.

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» Cultivating Silence » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Cultivating Silence

November 12, 2016

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