As part of Lent this year, my church developed a series of short concerts, devotionals, prayers, etc. with the theme of “Listening to Lent”. The idea was to explore all of the different ways we can be present with God and listen to Him, as well as others and ourselves in our daily lives. This week I’ve found myself in need of comfort and reassurance as I’ve tried to make sense of the senseless in my work life and as I watched pieces of the trial of George Floyd’s death at the hands (or knee) of one who is supposed to protect. And I can’t think of a better time to sit still and listen as Christ’s presence envelops me and reminds me that resurrection is real. I wrote two devotionals for my church and thought I’d share them with you this week, in case you, like me, need a reminder that all we need to do sometimes is sit still and listen.
The Sounds of Silence
Life gets very quiet before all the doors open.
I’m learning that what can feel like
loneliness is actually grace.
Rest.
Find your strength.
It will change soon.
-J. Lynn
Have you ever noticed that when you are going through a crisis or extreme stress, the world around you is eerily silent? So silent that all you hear are the voices in your head as it reminds you of your fears and negative thoughts. And although there are people all around wanting to help, you feel so alone.
This quote speaks to my soul like a calming voice. It is a reminder that even though the quiet can sometimes seem all-consuming, it’s necessary. It is preparation for what is on the horizon if only we are still and listen to the silence. It is in that silence that we not only find our strength, but we also remember who the source of our strength is.
I remember hearing the story of one of my favorite actors, John Krasinski. Right after college, he decided to move to New York to become an actor. He made an agreement with his mother that if he hadn’t gotten an acting job in two and a half to three years, then he would pull himself out. Two and a half years later he was miserable – he had no acting jobs and was a waiter and hated it. He asked his mother to come and get him because he was so unhappy. She encouraged him to wait just a few more months and three weeks later, he landed a job on the hit television show, The Office. We’ve heard stories like that before, right? An athlete, actor, or writer who had spent years going after a dream, only to decide to quit, and soon after, their world changes and dreams are fulfilled.
We can learn from these stories. When we find that life isn’t going as we planned, use this time to rest – physically rest, but also mentally rest, knowing that you are not alone. There was a time I could not find a job for two years. When the door finally opened for me, I was
overwhelmed. Time seemed to have stood still for two years and I was suddenly in the present and ready. I had matured so much in those two years – matured in my faith. I now realize that I was given grace at that time. Grace for the time to grow and learn what I needed to learn in order to continue on my journey.
So, when your life gets quiet, listen to the silence around you. It is in that silence that you will find the confidence, boldness, and power to overcome. In this quiet time, listen to the lessons you are being shown. Build your strength by reading, praying, and staying positive. And change will come. It always does. It will come at a time when you least expect it. The door will open, and you will feel a rush of excitement and even fear. But know that you are ready. You are prepared and you are deserving.
Spirit of My Soul
In the early 90s, I was talking to a colleague about my love for old spirituals. I told him it was my favorite music and once when I read Plato’s quote, “Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul”, I immediately knew what Plato meant because that was how I felt about spirituals. They touched me to my soul. About a week later, my colleague surprised me with a gift. It was a CD called Acappella Spirituals. It was full of old spirituals, all sung acapella. It had all of my favorites, Elijah Rock, Ain’t Got Time to Die, Wade in the Water, and my favorite, Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen. It was one of the best gifts I’d ever received. When I listened to the songs, I was overcome with emotion – sadness, love, and hope to name a few. Whenever I felt really happy or really sad, I would play that CD and it never failed that tears would stream down my face as I listened to the words of such soul-wrenching songs. All these years later, I still have the CD and still listen to it on a regular basis. And the songs still make me cry.
Recently PBS aired a documentary called, The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song. Henry Louis Gates Jr. detailed the revolution of the Black Church and the old Negro spirituals. The Black Church was the single most important institution in the community. It was responsible for advocating the needs of the people in the areas of education, social, and economic policies. And the Black Church was also the place where spirituals were sung. Melodies without accompaniment and spirituals had messages telling Black people to keep their faith. They were messages to give hope and persevere. Music was always a way for slaves to express their feelings. These songs were passed down from generation to generation. It’s even reported that spirituals were used to create their own secret language in order to help slaves escape in the Underground Railroad. It was a way for slaves to communicate with each other without their masters being aware.
For me, spirituals are prayers, “O Lord, I want you to help me. Help me on my journey, help me on my journey. O Lord, I want you to help me”. And, “O Lord, guide my way. Guide my footsteps, Lord, every day. O Lord, guide my way”. Spirituals speak the deepest heartache in our souls and ask for God to be with us, walk with us, and guide our way. But the unique quality of a spiritual, although it speaks to our heartache, also praises God and recognizes Him as the only one who can give us hope and make our sorrows go away.
In our human form, we tend to want to put our trust in ourselves or in other people to make our lives better. When we are feeling overwhelmed, our immediate reaction is to do something to fix it. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when we can use the gifts God gave us and learn our lessons. But there are also times when what we need is to be still and listen. And in my experience, many times I have found my answers, my hope, and my faith in a song. A song that is my prayer to the One who knows me better than anyone. The One who knows my heart. Over the years the spiritual began to only be mentioned when discussing slavery. But I believe they can still provide a deep level of prayer and inspiration for us today. Spirituals are meditations of the despair we all face at some point in our lives but can also serve as a triumph over deep sadness. If we listen closely, we can hear the power and beauty of the struggle in a spiritual and recognize how it provides meaning to the world around us while intricately seeping into the secret places of our soul.