When I first began my career in coaching and training, I found it very hard to just sit in silence.
The silence of waiting for someone to give a thought was palpable. It also arose when waiting for an answer to a question. Or even when asking for a volunteer. I had a need to fill the silence.
Do you ever feel that way when you pray?
My prayer often looks something like this…I pray for what I want. I thank. I want. I thank. I talk. I listen. And then I talk some more. I find myself so drawn to stay in conversation with Him.
I get tired of repeating what I know He already heard. I also get tired of mentioning what I know He has already taken care of. I just don’t know the outcome yet.
As a natural introvert, I get anxious going to events where I don’t know people. I stress over what to talk with people about. How to start a conversation without relying on weather talk. How to avoid offending them by asking what they may find to be a personal question.
How to keep a conversation going in- order- to avoid that awkward silence and stand there with nothing to say.
Can you relate? I am in awe of individuals who can immediately feel comfortable at those events and know just what to say.
Communication is a two way street. It’s not all up to me to keep the conversation going. It is a joint effort and a combination of both talking and listening. Listening for those clues in the conversation that will spark other topics of conversation.
I think prayer needs to be the same way. Not just one sided talking about what I want, need, and desire. It’s also about listening.
Just being quiet in the silence to hear what is being said. We need to just Be.
When I sit in the quiet and silence my mind. I realize I am being drawn not to keep talking to Him. Instead, I am drawn to “be” with Him. To just rest in His presence and know I am okay.
He asks us to “be still and know that He is God.” We don’t have to work to fill the silence.
I have been in a time of In-between lately. A time of no longer and not yet. This in between place is also a place that can feel very silent. A time of feeling very alone. A time when I am drawn to fill the silence with anything but that…silence.
What God has had me doing doesn’t seem to be working. However, I am not yet in the fullness of God’s promise. It’s easy to feel stuck, uncertain, and restless. I have found in scripture that this in-between season is not without purpose.
In 2 Corinthians 5:5, we’re told that we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Even in the waiting, God is working in us and through us.
I have found that the best things to do when in a season of in-between, is to:
- Pursue intimacy with God: I have used this season to deepen my relationship with the Lord. Spending time in prayer, reading Scripture, and worship. As I have drawn near to Him, I’ve found comfort, guidance, and strength for the journey ahead.
- Reflect and learn: It has been a time to reflect on the season I may have to leave behind. What has God taught me? What can I carry forward into the new chapter? What are areas for growth? What do I need to surrender to God?
- Prepare for what’s next: I might not know exactly what God has in store. However, I can prepare my heart and mind. I can develop habits, skills, and character that will serve me well in the future.
- Serve others: I have looked for ways to serve and bless those around me. It has been a powerful way to shift my focus from my own waiting to being a blessing to others.
- Trust in God’s sovereignty: I am remembering that God is working all things together for my good (Romans 8:28). I trust that He has a plan, even when I can’t see the outcome.
If you are navigating the in-between, hold fast to the promise of Jeremiah 29:11.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
My friend, I pray that you find peace, purpose, and joy in the in-between. Know that God is with you every step of the way.
Trust Him enough to simply rest in His presence. To simply be…
In the silence.
With love and joy,
Laura
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