Sacred Silence
Hanging on the wall of our family room is a large map of the United States labeled with all of the National Parks. Once we visit a park, we put a pin on the map to mark our progress toward the goal of one day (we are in no rush!) seeing them all. Last week we visited four absolutely gorgeous National Parks in Utah - Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon (see the above photo). I love going off-season when the crowds are smaller and the views are different than what is usually shown on the post cards and calendars.
On our last morning in Utah, my husband and I rose early to see the sunrise. It was snowing when we woke up, so I doubted there would be much to see. But, we decided to drive on into the park anyway since, sunrise or not, the scenery would still be stunning!
There were only a few tire tracks in the snow as we drove past the first few viewpoints. Then, as we drove on toward Bryce Point, there were no tire tracks in the snow at all. Just us. We drove slowly and carefully on up the hill and into the parking lot where we were the only ones there - a truly unexpected gift in a typically busy National Park!
It was a feast for the senses. The clouds parted just enough for the orange-yellow sun to peak through and highlight the brilliant orange rock formations (called hoodoos) that were beautifully accented by the bright, white snow.
And the silence ... well ... the silence was absolutely, spectacularly stunning! There was no human noise at all except for the crunch of our boots in the snow and the sound of our own breath. We stood still. Reverent. Grateful.
Soaking it all in, I became increasingly aware of how much I long for moments of true, deep silence. As life has begun returning to more of the "normal" rhythms of busyness and full calendars, it has also gotten more noisy. Some of that noise is a beautiful return to our life in community. And yet, I miss the silence.
How might I - how might we - find more space for silence; to remember that God is the sacred center of all we do? As lovely as it is to find that silence in a spectacular landscape, how might I find it right in the middle of my every day life? Maybe I could slow down and breathe more deeply ... light a candle ... gaze at a beautiful photo ... walk in the woods ... try a cell phone Sabbath ... color, read or even take a nap.
What might a moment of sacred silence look like for you? Start small. Savor the silence. Show up. And maybe you will catch a glimpse of the Sonrise even when you least expect it.