My assignment was to take an image that portrays silence. Walking through a foot of snow as the flakes were gently drifting to the ground was a moment of grace and sheer exhaustion. I wonder if the path to silence entails a journey in which we are so exhausted by the demands of life that we simply “fall still.”
As I meander through the woods following the trail of the deer I come upon a creek winding through the forest. The snow has covered the banks of the water and I need to be watchful so that I do not put my foot into the freezing water.
It is absolutely still. The snow continues to accumulate on the ground and create a tapestry of beauty on the rocks and limbs below that have fallen into the creek. It is a moment to simply watch and listen to the silence. Even put the camera down for a moment and allow the surrounding beauty to heal the wounds of busyness.
Perhaps, this is what it means to commune with the Lord. To empty oneself from all our worries that make us tense throughout the day and allow our bodies and souls to drink in this healing silence.
There has been a lot on our minds that stretch us to our limits. The fear is that we will break under all this tension and our hearts and bodies will become weak and ill under this stress.
Now is a moment to find our balance, to humbly come before the Lord and surrender our despair and allow God’s grace found in this cold and desolate place to heal the wounds of all our despair.
O Blessed are you who are poor… O Blessed are you who mourn… for in these moments when we can easily become bitter and cynical- maybe even throw in the towel, Our Lord shows us another way.
In this silence, we find the Truth and Peace that we have been searching for in our life. Only in Jesus can we live the Beatitudes that are hard lessons but the path to peace. Jesus came to keep justice and mercy, truth and peace together. He came to save us.
And this morning in silence, in this snow-covered museum of cold and ice, we find a path where we find our balance, renewed energy and a spirit that can make our fragile and weak spirits strong again.
Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: "People listened to me expectantly. Waiting in silence for my counsel. (Job 29:21).
Lord, I pray for all my Sunshine Friends that in this silent moment we find the Jesus who comes to breathe a sign of relief and a moment to heal all our fears with his tender love and quiet peace.
