Showing posts with label solitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solitude. Show all posts

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Meditation changing life



We hear the benefits of meditation: calm, peace, and becoming centered. But my meditation should go further than just me...it should break forth into life.

It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great person is she who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." writes Ralph Waldo Emerson.

It is a good question to ask myself. Do I take what I learn in solitude and silence and bring it with me into the crowd?

If I don't, then what does it profit me?


Thursday, March 31, 2011

Discerning the Voice

Mountains were often sought after as places of solitude and prayer

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts says psalm 95:8. When we are sincere in seeking God, we are by that very fact listening to his voice. The problem isn't in our hearts' willingness, but our ability to discern God's voice from the many other voices we hear.

I think one of the voices we must be wary of is the voice that tries to reason with us against our own heart. That voice is outside of ourselves, and looks at situations from a very natural and worldly point of view. It's not always wrong. But because it is sometimes right, we are tempted to let that voice decide for us, and we shouldn't. 

Another voice we must be wary of is our own voice of reason. Sometimes what God invites us to do is not at all reasonable. Sometimes God asks us to take another direction or to leave something familiar behind. If we guide ourselves by reason only, we will miss the call.

Think of the disciples. Leaving nets, boats and families, they followed Jesus, who promised them nothing. Had they reasoned Jesus call out, they most likely would never have followed him.

I think a major part of hearing God's voice is trusting in our ability to hear it. We are so afraid to believe in our spiritual self. Maybe that is the real meaning of the words If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. If today you hear the voice of God, trust in your ability to hear.


Freezing Beautiful Times

Life would be so much easier if we could freeze the beautiful times, the times when joy overflowed and we were in tune with life around and ...