Photo: Mine

‘Sound imposes a narrative on you…and it’s always someone else’s narrative…The pursuit of silence, likewise, is dissimilar from most other pursuits in that it generally begins with a surrender of the chase, the abandonment of efforts to impose our will and vision on the world. Not only is it about standing still; with rare exceptions, the pursuit of silence seems initially to involve a step backward from the tussle of life… It’s as though, as a culture, we’ve learned to ‘mind the gaps’ so well that they’ve all but disappeared. We live in an age of incessancy, under the banner of the already heard and forgotten’ George Prochnik (from In Pursuit of Silence)

Having read this gem yesterday morning I purposed to take a morning of silence. I had deliberately created a gap in my life and planned to keep it wide.

I dropped the brood off at school, delivered some supplies to the Hope centre and enjoyed a chat with a friend. She encouraged me to read 1 Kings 19.

Elijah’s time of Replenishment and Rest – Yes. Yes. Yes.

This is where I am at – God challenging my ability to rest. My ability to remember me. I head home to silence. No music (a challenge…) No podcasts. Stop.

Photo: Mine -Revelstoke

I sit silent with my pink leather journal, bible and hot toast on my ‘creative chair’.

And I listen. Tuning in to silence is a challenge isn’t it?

But I was more challenged with the sound of running water. I check the house for running taps – outside taps – inside taps. None.

 3 hours later….

Burst pipes have a way of wrecking a basement quite quickly.

Insurance company arrive. Workmen chatting. Radio’s blaring. Dog barking.  Flooring ripped up in my basement. Laundry wall sawn out. Three dehumidifiers on full blast constantly  – the familiar sound of traveling at 30,000 feet rumbles through my house.

The sound of insurance claims and phone calls.

The sound of chaos.

Now – I’m realistic about these things and realize it’s inconvenient but it’s fixable and could have been a lot worse (I wasn’t meant to be home for 4 hours…)

But, it got me thinking about floods. And how many friends I know who have been flooded out in life recently. Marriages. Relationships. Loss. Ripped apart and chaotic. Floods appear throughout the narrative of scripture, here’s a favorite of mine which I’d love you to take into your heart today.

Isaiah 59:19 ‘When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him’.

It’s God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works, visualize this – the Spirit of the Lord – ‘a wind urging on a mass of waters through a compressed and straitened place – increasing their (the waters) impetuosity and violence’

The comparison of a warrior or hero with such a mighty and impetuous torrent, is exceedingly forcible and beautiful.

He will fight for you.

Can you see Him ‘Lifting up a standard’? Not only does this mean raising a banner but also meaning to impel, to cause to flee, to put to flight, to drive him away.

Be encouraged.

Invite the Spirit of God to raise a standard for you. To be your victory.

He that has delivered will still deliver.

I’m off to pursue silence in this chaos.

Have a great weekend!