Be Still

Be Still and Know that I AM God

~Psalm 46:10a

This half verse from the Psalms sums up my deepest desire as I withdraw physically from the world and enter into a time of retreat.  In this context, retreat means to me that I step off the hamster wheel of life in order to seek a place where outer silence and quiet can begin to still the inner being.  When I am able to "be still" then I am able to re-connect with God without life screaming at me.  I know many people do not feel the need for this but I do.  I find that life has great expectations of me, that I have great expectations of myself, and that I suffer from feeling overwhelmed with my own imperfections.  Somehow in the silence of my inner being, my imperfections are seen through the eyes of God, each flaw a beautiful vessel of grace. 

I try for 30 minutes of silence a day ... a day of silence in a month with spiritual direction ... and several days once per year, sometimes on my own and sometimes in community. 

What is your practice of silence and what have you learned?