“Well” is my word of the year.
I have prayed, journaled, studied, played, and walked with this word for nine months so far in 2024. I have wrestled, laughed, and wrung about every ounce of wisdom from its substance I could squeeze out. I sat here this morning and thought, “I think I am done. My word just doesn’t have enough juice to make it until the end of the year.”
Then I laughed, “My well has gone dry.”
One of the most valuable and powerful spiritual practices I participate in is seeing a spiritual director. About once a month she and I meet. I share with her what is stirring my soul and she listens deeply – what a gift it is to have someone listen with such love and with the Spirit. Last week I told her about how I wanted to grow more devoted, more in love with the Lord and we talked about this invitation, this desire. (mmm, thinking now perhaps this was a thirst from a dry well?). I asked her what spiritual practice would she recommend I focus on the next month. Her answer:
Silence.
Silence is the now the tool for digging my well deeper and is rediscovering and refreshing this word for me this year. With silence I am exploring what it may be like to live a more devoted life with God. I also expect to hear a few new lessons from my word yet this year.
I spend at least 20 minutes in contemplative silence each morning. Listening. Praying. Focused only on the Lord.
I embrace pockets of silence throughout the day. Just now I looked up from my keyboard, out my window and smiled at the sky above with a thankful heart.
I leave the radio and television off. My next challenge is to quit scrolling on my phone so much and sit with more stillness with the silence.
Each step growing deeper and deeper. Digging deeper. Slowing down. Listening. Learning.
When one sits at the bottom of an empty “well”, one listens. There is a silence. Maybe an echo. A stillness full of lessons yet to come. A place to rest for a while and dig toes in the soil and wonder what just might bubble up underneath all that packed dirt of the world and life – maybe some unseen wonderful treasure awaiting to be discovered will slowly emerge and teach us all new lessons and be “well” worth waiting for.
What are you learning lately?
Well has been such an amazing word, Jean! I’ve loved all the many, many nuances you’ve found and continue to find–even this concept of an empty well and silence and echoes. So rich! I can borrow this practice too for my word Curiosity….
Thanks LIsa. I sometimes struggle with this word but in that wrestling, have dug deeper and found meanings I wouldn’t have discovered if I had quit sooner. I think just sitting listening to our words really help. befriend them!
Mark 4: 49: “Silence; be mute”.
After reading Ruth Haley Barton’s book, In Solitude and Silence, last year I’ve frequently set aside some of my Quiet Time to sit in the stillness of morning and focus on God, his presence, and possibly a thought or two from him. The latter I’ve been recording in a journal. It does NOT come naturally to me! I’m much more comfortable writing my own prayers to God, instead of listening to the silence and waiting for a possible word from Him. Still trying to calm down my Type A personality that wants to be DOING something!
I really need to get Ruth’s book back out in this time of revisiting silence. Thanks for mentioning it!
You’re welcome, Jean!
Our well can never run dry when we turn to the Living Water to replenish us and quench our spiritual thirst. Sitting in silence is such a beautiful way to let God into our hearts on a deeper level than words can express. Thank you, Jean, for sharing your discovery and inspiring us all to welcome the Lord in fresh new ways that we might better serve Him daily.
Blessings always!
amen amen amen!!
thank you jean…silence is a good practice..sometimes i wonder what that actually means…keeping our mouth shut…be in a very quiet place…turning off thots…combo thereof?..revelation says “there was silence in heaven for half an hour”…silence before an anticipated event?..peace
Probably all those things Pat. I know for me stillness it part of silence too.
I am learning to listen to God more than I ever have before.
me too Yvonne. a lifelong lesson isn’t it?