Listening

Minsteracres Monastery near Hexham, Northumberland
where I used to go on retreat.

A number of years ago I had the custom every year of going on a three day silent retreat in a monastery a few miles from my home.  They were wonderful days spent with friends but in silence apart from the person who was leading the retreat and the one who each day was chosen to say the grace before any meal.  We ate in silence and walked around the grounds in silence.  There were no radios or mobile phones - a rare treat.  It was amazing though how on the last day when at dinner the silence was broken, it took much longer to eat our meal and people had to ask for the salt or bread or whatever whereas before everyone just noticed what each other needed and passed it to them - an interesting lesson!


I was aware this morning of the words, 'Be still and know that I am God'.  I began to reminisce about those blessed times that were spent in silence and so as I was in the house on my own today, I decided to spend a little time just sitting, listening.  At first it is difficult as the mind starts to race away with its own thoughts, organising things into the different compartments of the mind and using the time as a sort of quiet working/sorting out time instead of just being and listening.  When I did listen, I heard a few cars going by outside and then a louder vehicle - the bus that goes up the road.  It would come back again in the opposite direction in about 15 minutes on its way into town.  I heard the sounds of one of the children who lives next door as she was playing.  There was also the call of a wood pigeon as it sat on the chimney stack and the sound echoed down the chimney into the living room.  But through it all was the constant ticking of the clock on the wall.  It was like the regular heartbeat of time itself.

In the busyness of life, you're not usually aware of the sound of the clock ticking.  You only hear it when other noises have stopped.  But it is there constantly ticking away whether it is noticed or not.  How often do I get caught up in the busyness of everyday living, hearing the sounds of life happening all around but not always consciously aware of the heartbeat of God, constantly there whether I notice or not.  It's good to take time out and just listen - even for a few moments - to hear the sounds that are often drowned out by other louder noises, sounds that we don't usually hear.  In the quietness God often makes us aware of things that escape us during the busy everyday living.  Our minds are too busy organising and planning so we don’t hear other, less attention-grabbing sounds.  It is a good exercise that I'm glad I've recaptured and hope to do more often in order to hear what God is saying through the 'still small voice'.