I am a marketing and communications coordinator, so I tend to be a person of many words. I spend my days talking on the phone, over Zoom and in person. My time is filled with words written, words spoken, words thought. Even if my mouth is closed, my mind is rarely still.
But this week at Prairiewoods, we hosted one of our Silent Directed Retreats, and I am again reminded of the power of silence. During these holy weeks, we—the staff at Prairiewoods—hold the silence for those who wish to go deeper within themselves during long days and nights passed without words spoken aloud.
I have yet to attempt a full week of silence myself, but I did participate in a Silent Mindfulness Meditation Retreat Day, in which we spent a Saturday meditating in silence. We practiced sitting meditation, walking mediation and mindful eating. We avoided even non-verbal communication, such as nodding or waving to those we passed. The goal was to go inward and to be present in the moment we were experiencing.
On many Saturdays, I practice this mindfulness while creating art. I close myself off in my art space at home and spend time creating in silence. I paint, I draw, I create with the Creator. I am in the moment, in silence.
But, like most of my days, my prayer time tends to be filled with words. Words of gratitude, words of longing. However, I am often called back to this piece by Edwina Gateley called Let Your God Love You:
Be silent.
Be still.
Alone. Empty.
Before your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.
God loves you
with an enormous love,
and only wants
to look upon you
with that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.Let your God—
love you.—Edwina Gateley, Let Your God Love You
How do we be still, alone, empty? How do we let our God look upon us? How often do we sit with God in silence and stillness? How often do we simply let our God love us? What does that look like?
—Andi Lewis, Prairiewoods Marketing Coordinator