Yet?
image from medium
For decades, music played little role in my long rides. Most bikes didn’t have the technology then, or the wind drowned out the sound. For three years I did listen some with earbuds to Pandora on my Goldwing, but to be frank, I loved the sounds of silence more than the distractions of other people’s thoughts in music. Silence gave time to ponder, to examine my past and myself, both good and bad. Often the topic of why I made various choices came up. Why did my romantic relationships only last three months? Why did I not pursue some options for marriage, ones that sometimes came close? I always had jobs and paid the bills, but no jobs captivated me.
But the silence of the road helped me realize two main things. First, romantically I wasn’t ready, a particularly good catch for anyone—too unstable, too unsettled, not ready to settle down. I didn’t want to start a serious relationship when unwilling to let it develop where it might. A sacrificial act of kindness, perhaps?
Jobwise, no professional passion challenged my love of knocking on new doors. Ironically, one of my greatest adventures, moving to Taos, brought me to a professional purpose worthy of giving my life to: pastoring and spiritually serving people. That dominated my career from then on, even into official retirement. In a double irony, that purpose also led me away from Taos—it had served its purpose for me. This new stability brought the courage to enter a relationship, open to wherever it went. Next February 10 will mark 46 years of marriage.
Not all of you ride, and I get that. But we all need to have some margins in life. Spaces where we can think and ponder and wonder and pray. I cherish the verse, “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast” (Psalm 131:2, RSV). How do we quiet our souls? Several tips. First, intentionally trust in God’s love and involvement in your life, just as a baby at its mother’s breast. When stress increases, we slow down enough to hear God whisper, “Child, I’ve got this.” We need to decrease the margins of worry and anxiety and choose to actively fill them with God’s comfort.
Second, we leave some time margins. Yes, life is costly and busy and we need to work, but perhaps we should pray about choosing to give ourselves enough quiet to ponder life. Ourselves. God. Decisions. Just this week someone posted a classic from the 60s, “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, with the opening line, “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.” Remember God commanded a day to avoid work, to rest, to focus on him. Have we chosen a pace of our lives that leaves little time to think more deeply?
Kick Starting the Application
Does your life allow time to go placidly amid the noise and haste? Do you allow busyness to drown out God’s whispers? Do you need to make some lifestyle changes to allow silence?