Hearing and Seeking God in Silence

The ringing in my ears started a few years ago while I was gardening.

It was constant for many months; now I only hear it a few times a week. When it was brand new, I would get reprieves from the ringing here and there, and in those moments, all I wanted to do was sit in silence and to hear what that sounded like again.

I had had no idea before this happened how much I had taken silence for granted. But when the thought of losing it seemed within reach, grief overcame me—I wanted to be able to hear silence then more than ever.

It was a jarring experience that got me thinking a lot about when I listen for God—how I listen to Him.

It made me question: am I making it difficult for Him to speak to me? Have I been drowning Him out all along with music, podcasts, TV shows—noise in the background?

And lastly, was this, maybe, a wake-up call to give Him that time of day? To give Him silence, and allow Him to speak in it?

The way God speaks to us can sometimes be surprising. In today’s First Reading, God’s voice wasn’t in the wind or the earthquake or the fire like we might have expected (see 1 Kings 19:12). No. It was in a tiny, whispering sound. Something you might only hear when everything else around you is quiet.

Sister, I know it can be difficult to incorporate silence into your day. Sometimes impossible. Even then, maybe we can try to create a silent space in our hearts and minds to listen. To listen for that tiny, whispering sound that will tell us where to go—and what to do next. Let His small sounds work in our hearts today.

Are you familiar with this religious order who lives in silence?