For the longest time, I didn’t know how to quiet my heart from all the pain that I carried around with me. It was loud and painful, destroying my silence to life, and forcing me to not have the ability to listen to others. I would only hear my pain, my sorrow, and my woes. It took a long time of practicing to let go and journaling everything from start to finish daily to quiet this loudness that kept interrupting my life. I tell you, silence after so many years of loud nothing was hard to embrace. It felt odd to be hearing peace and I had no idea what to do with it. It felt almost like an imposter living my life and as I listened, I began to cry. For once, I could hear myself cry and not hear just thoughts of what I couldn’t let go. It brought me to a higher understanding of my own ego clashing over my heart. It made me turn into a better listener to my spouse and it made me a better mother to my children. It made me a better friend to those who needed my shoulder, and it made me a better woman to sisters who were struggling to be found.
Overall…I discovered the power of silence is the savior to the once thundering pain that echoed throughout me. Silence was the greatest gift I could give my soul and when it arrived, it gently took care of all the loud scars I’d left on my body, inside and out, and it taught me to heal through the peaceful and gentle hugs that brought me to the place I couldn’t face. Silence was no longer buzzing loudly but it was a life gifting encounter where I could hear my own voice asking for forgiveness.
Have you ever watched a movie with the sound off? If you have not, try it, you will notice how the actions of the camera shifts you into a stunned state of wow and see the emotions come to life through the expressions of the actors. When you hear, you focus too much on words being present to gift sight to you. But when you listen, you focus on the situation without judging. You are listening and understanding without being bias. You are seeing the whole picture as clear as day and grasping the situation without tainting it with foul thought or words. You are listening.
Have you listened lately?