Leslie's Little Devotional

Good morning!   I’d like to share an excerpt from my journal as I continue this journey, learning to be silent. 3/7/17 Removing distractions. Getting away from the sounds and noise that fill my ears and mind. Learning to quiet myself and just be with the Lord. Reclining on HIM as John did. No great revelation, but peace and calmness. It was a struggle to get here. I’m used to the noise. The distraction has become oddly comforting, almost like “white noise” filling my mind and the atmosphere. As I sat on my sofa, journaling those words, I glanced out my patio doors. It is really windy here today. Random pieces of newspaper that escaped someone’s recycling bin are blowing about my yard. They’re flying up, down, and all about. At the edge of my patio, is a brick bonfire pit. Unlike the newspaper, it is unmoved. The substance of the bricks is greater than the force of the wind acting upon it. For a moment or two, what I was seeing didn’t really seem to connect to any...

Last week we attended an Ash Wednesday service at our church. The sanctuary was darkened and quiet, setting a contemplative tone. This was the first Ash Wednesday service I’d ever attended, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. As the service began, we silently read scriptures that were displayed on the screen as violins played. It took me to a place, a place where I began to reflect on what I would do with these 46 days before Easter. At the end of the service we were given time to sit silently, searching our hearts before God. As our pastor said, silence can be uncomfortable. In all honesty, I struggle with silence. It is a hole I want to fill. However, that night I was able to embrace the silence and listen through it. The music, conversations, and random thoughts were not present. There was only the Holy Spirit and me. It was an amazing time. HE spoke to my heart, encouraging me and challenging me. As we move into the days preceding Easter Sunday, I feel led to seek more...