day of silence -revisited-

Two weeks ago I let you in on an experiment I was pondering: what would I hear from God if I just silenced my world for a day? The world I create with my witty banter, endless loop of music, constant presence of people, NOISE NOISE NOISE seemed to be hindering life, not engaging life.

So I shut up. I didn’t talk – which was huge – and I didn’t listen to music – and if you know me this was harder than the not talking. the time I woke up until sunset, this was my day. Silence.

I couldn’t only sit all monk-like for about 20 minutes. Yes, monk-like. I sat on the couch in my living room and stared out the window, writing down my thoughts in my long forgotten journal. I hit on an idea:

What if this is a palate cleanser? What if this is one day where my mind and my heart are somewhat ‘cleansed’ so that I am more aware of what I’m putting into them?

20 minutes into the day and I feel like I hit the jackpot. And yet, I pressed on.

I cooked. I made a giant bowl of the salsa I love. I made some meals for the week. I cut my finger at one point and said a word that probably wasn’t worth breaking my silence for, and yet there is was out in the world. Whoops!

Then I picked a book up from my shelf. I chose Don Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and read it. Yep, I read an entire book. Somewhere in there I ate of bowl of that salsa with a spoon because that’s what needed to happen.

Then I took a nap. Who knew that silence could be so damn exhausting. I never take naps, even when I wake up at the crack of dawn to do my barista thing I don’t like to nap. I woke up from my nap with a sense of peace, a sense of, “yep, this experiment is over.” So I didn’t last until sunset and I don’t particularly care.

I stole my roommate’s car (since she was out of town and not using it at that moment) and went to my local QFC for some ingredients and their well located Redbox. I rented two movies. I cooked more food. I watched two movies. I talk with my mom on the phone. I rested.

Will I do it again? I hope so. I want to do it this summer in the midst of trees on a mountain. Camping anyone? C’mon, I know Tom’s in.

Selah, friends, family, and strangers.