soul stillness

Greg Ferguson

"Our lives are filled with words and noise..."

Henri Nouwen

over thirty five years ago

And here we are today even more engulfed by a conflicting, chaotic rush of verbiage and noise.

where is true soul stillness to be found? 

For me...

Well, I might have said it starts when I boot up my Mac and run a playlist of Celtic songs, or monk music, or some other genre to engage my senses.

But, no.

It's quieter than that.

It's a journey toward the ancient practice of silencio...silence. Listening.

And stillness.

For many years, at the break of dawn, I would get up to meet my Lord, Savior, and Friend. That daybreak connection was the Breath of Jesus to me.

I'm not a morning person, but focusing my mind and heart at daybreak had the effect of a gentle invitation from Jesus to emerge into His world.

Over the decades I've filled hundreds of journals with my scrawlings and prayers.

Those early morning hours with Him were blood flow for my soul. Everything flowed from this epicenter of my life, including every song and spoken word I've written.

portable sacred space

These days I'm no longer up at the earliest dawn.

After Heidi takes Rinne and me for our brief morning stroll, we sort through breakfast and silence our devices.

Depending on the day I may cycle through some of my own short, simple prayer phrases, pointing my soul God-ward.

Sometimes we craft a vibe digitally with simple images of nature, sanctuaries, ambient sounds, centering us and nurturing reverence and a sense of wonder.

Places Rinne and I can no longer visit in person.

 When I've entered that portable sacred space...

I'm usually groggy, yet expectant. Still...and aware.

My soul is in need of the Holy One.

I  scrawl out my prayers, my struggle, unedited and raw--into a journal--pouring out my soul to Him.

Sometimes when I'm reading scripture, I bow in my chair in homage to my Heavenly Father, I whisper to Him in a barely audible voice.

Nothing should pull my focus now. 

But it does.  

I take a deep breath. And slowly exhale.

My very breath feels like an answer to His inquiry.   

I'm trying to reach for the edge of God's Presence and listen for His voice in my silence. 

It’s hard to sort out exactly what's happening in those moments—random brain waves firing, sleepy REM half-dreaming? A Sacred moment? Am I just listening to my own self, or perhaps--perhaps-

to the God who made me, and whispers to me.

I sense that sometimes,

if i'm super still,

it's like He's sorting all that out for me,

or in spite of me.

I seem to sense promptings. 

But do I really? 

Anywhere near accurately? 

Maybe.

Sometimes.

But the highest probability of my sensing something that has the Taste of God, is in those sacred moments when I’m still and listening.

Although much of my faith walk is riddled with doubt and anxiety, when my heart is open, He calms me.

bring the deeper parts of your soul

Where is true soul stillness

to be found

for you...

where you can bring the deeper parts

of your soul

to Jesus

to listen 

in silence and open stillness

To the One who made you

Who also listens for

your voice?

...be sure of this:

I am with you always...

Matthew 28:20

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God's peace, mercy and grace be with you dear one,

Always with love,

Greg & Corinne

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