Is Silence Even A Thing?

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16, NIV

I LAY IN BED WAITING. Listening. Wondering. What was it? What was different?

Yes, it was our first night in our new house. Yes, the boxes were still piled high. Yes, we were exhausted.

But that wasn’t it.

Why couldn’t I sleep? Was I anticipating new neighbor relationships, new routines, new challenges here? Yes.

But that wasn’t it either.

What was speaking to my soul this very moment?

The silence.

The pure quiet. The curtain dancing gently with the summer breeze wafting through the open window. The lack of noise. The nothing.

We had lived on Main Street in the middle of Bowling Green, Ohio, for twelve years. Twelve years of semitrucks rattling our one-hundred-year-old windows at night. Twelve years of listening to honking, screeching, yelling. Twelve years of noises and bumps.

I have always liked the hustle and bustle. Motion and movement are part of my DNA. I’m always creating, designing, storytelling, or writing.

And yet here I was, freshly moved out and newly moved in to a quiet place away from all the buzz. I didn’t know how badly my busy self needed the silence.

I heard myself breathe. I heard nature’s night sounds. I heard my own heart.

Even if you aren’t bent toward busy, silence is an element of soul care that we have neglected. It has become a relic in a rowdy and rioting society. But silence can be scary. Left alone to our thoughts and fears and selves, we might not like what we find. Silence can feel intimidating and purposeless at times. And yet God calls us to clear away everything and be still—not just for the sole purpose of being removed, but to recover our very souls. See a few places where the Bible encourages solitude and silence for us:

[Elijah] went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him . . . a gentle whisper.

1 Kings 19:9, 12, NIV

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength.

Isaiah 30:15, NIV

There are gifts God wants to give us if we take the time to quiet ourselves and be still with Him. He wants to give us strength and knowledge of Him. He wants to speak to us—to our joy, worry, and needs. These and so much more are waiting for us in the quiet places. God Himself is graciously waiting for us in the silent spots. And our souls desperately need this. Choosing to remove the noise around us and put on silence? This looks amazing on us.

GRACE REFLECTION: Pray with me, “Father, help me to seek out silence today, just to be with You. Show me the naturally quiet moments in my day. I want to hear You. Amen.”