Breaking Into Silence

Surging Into Prayer

Photo: Kelley Mooneyham

“The heart can think of no devotion

greater than being shore to ocean”

– Robert Frost

What if a wave had no place to release
and let go of the momentum
and energy it absorbs from a tumultuous sea?

Ever present
waiting to receive
All that’s ready to be released
from a sea
of chaos and calm
the shore faithfully waits..
for an arrival.

A listless lap or breaking surge
All arrive in sure faith
of being received
breathless and exhausted
Seeking rest from a long journey.

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke
tell the story of Jesus calming a storm at sea:

“Do you not care that we are perishing?”
Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind
and said to the sea,
“Peace! Be still!”
Then the wind ceased and there was a dead calm.
He said to them,
“Why are you afraid?
Have you no faith?”
(Mk 37-40)

Faith requires trust..
An unwavering trust
that someone will be there..
When you need to let go
surrender, release and turn over
all you’re carrying..
from the storms that are gathering
and raging around
and within you.

In the silence, Jesus hears
the overwhelmed cries
accelerating stress, worry and fear..
and calms the emotional storms
simply by saying:

“Peace, Be Still”

We can’t think our way to peace..
We can’t reason our way to letting go..

We can however intentionally
make space to speak to
the Spirit of God as friend..
releasing our chaos, grief, fear
and unknowing..
onto a faithful shore
of Love and Strength.

The challenges and heartaches in life
rarely disappear immediately..
if ever..
and we often experience waves of emotion
that can change moment by moment.

When we let our hearts surge into honest prayer
the very act of trusting
that someone
will be there to listen and receive
your heart breaking into the Silence,
will awaken the Sacred listener and friend
who is ever present..
and always ready to absorb the energy
you need to release..
while sending peace and strength
into the places of fear and worry.

A Sacred shore simply provides a place to rest for a time..
to release
to renew
and receive all you need..
to sail back out
into a tumultuous sea.

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes.”

– Etty Hillesum