Training

The first time I tried cycling- I was miserable.

The first mile I ran- I was miserable.

The first day I fasted- I was miserable.

Today was a my first day in practicing the spiritual discipline of silence. And guess what, I was miserable.

As a child, on Good Friday, my mother insisted on silence and chores in the house from 3pm-6pm, in reverence to the 3hrs of darkness covered the earth as Christ hung on the cross. Today, I felt a call to silence and stillness from 3pm-6pm. This would be a time not even to pray or worship, but simply to be. I have never practiced this discipline before, and it proved to be difficult. I sat in the grass, bit every nail, swatted every fly, and hoped the time would supernaturally pass.

I was almost discouraged at my unmet expectations of that time until on my walk home the Lord reminded me of my training experiences. It's not often that the first time you try something it's easy and successful. It takes practice and discipline. So, I won't reject this discipline, but hope to practice some more, and find it to be fruitful in the future.