Pursue Reality Podcast

PSP 46 | The Power of Silence & Solitude - Spiritual Disciplines Series

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In this episode of the Pursue Reality Podcast, Pastor Lindsey sits down with Pastor Joe and Danielle to talk about the often-overlooked discipline of silence and solitude. Together, they unpack what it means to step away from the noise, hurry, and constant input of everyday life to rest in the quiet presence of God.

They discuss the biblical roots of this practice—from Jesus withdrawing to lonely places, to the ways saints throughout history have sought stillness with God—and share how it’s shaped their own spiritual journeys. You’ll hear honest reflections about why silence can feel intimidating, how it confronts our inner noise, and why it might actually feel harder before it feels peaceful.

Whether you’re just beginning or looking to deepen this rhythm, this conversation offers practical ways to start: pairing silence with daily activities, setting aside short moments of stillness, and trusting that God is working even when you can’t feel it.

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Speaker 1 00:00:10  You're listening to the new reality podcast from Reality Church. Each episode is a conversation about what it means to be real people pursuing a better reality in Jesus.

Lindsay 00:00:25  Welcome everybody back. It is good to be with you. My name is Lindsay and I'm one of the pastors here at Reality Church, and I'm super excited for today's episode. I have with me, Pastor Joe.

Joe 00:00:36  Hi everybody.

Lindsay 00:00:37  And I have with me Danielle. Hey there. There are resident experts today of silence and no pressure of silence and solitude. No, you guys, I'm super excited about today's episode because, it's kind of part of what God's been doing in my life, been growing in this specific discipline, and it's been such a blessing. So I want other people to hear about it. Maybe if they're curious about it, it could be something for people to step out into. And that is the practice of silence and solitude.

Joe 00:01:11  And I just have to interrupt us because you guys, you you don't have the privilege of sitting in the room like I do.

Joe 00:01:16  Across from Danielle and and Lindsay and you, just specifically Lindsay. The joy on her face as she.

Lindsay 00:01:24  Is true.

Joe 00:01:26  As she is getting ready to talk about this topic.

Lindsay 00:01:28  I'm super excited.

Joe 00:01:29  She just she loves this stuff so much.

Lindsay 00:01:32  Yeah, I do actually. I don't know what that says about me.

Joe 00:01:36  Who says really good things? Do you love it for our church too?

Lindsay 00:01:39  So yeah, I, I am excited too, because this is maybe an unexplored discipline for a lot of people, but for both of you specifically invited you because it's something that you have found a lot of meaning in a lot of connection to and has been significant in your walk with Jesus. And so maybe we could start out with just the question when we say these terms silence and solitude. What are we even talking about, Danielle, like is what does this mean? And this isn't just, a reality church idea. This is a historic practice that Christians have practiced through the ages. what do we as Christians understand this, this practice to be all about?

Danielle 00:02:23  Yeah.

Danielle 00:02:24  No, I think that's a great question. And it's a good place to kind of give some context to what we're talking about. So I would boil it down to one word and then I'll explain it a little bit. I would just say it's less. So start off with just the word. It's less so silence is just less noise, less of the stuff that makes our world loud. Whatever it is, your world and or our world. So less of, noise and quieting our space. And then solitude is less interaction and less distraction, with the things that would normally fill our lives. So if we could just think of a little bit less and it doesn't mean you need to get rid of everybody. That's not what we're saying. Or disappear. And I'm. I'm going for less. But just for a moment. For whatever time you're setting aside, how can you be less noisy and less interactive with other relationships, other responsibilities, other things you have and focus on this one relationship with God?

Lindsay 00:03:23  Okay.

Lindsay 00:03:23  And what? So I really love that every time Danielle is on, she says things, I'm like, oh.

Joe 00:03:30  Yeah, we need to write this down.

Lindsay 00:03:32  I need.

Joe 00:03:32  To write. I need to rip this off for a sermon. Yes.

Lindsay 00:03:35  Go right ahead. Exactly. so when you this whole idea of last doing this, is this just because we live in a busy world, in a noisy world, or. Why? Why are we doing this? Is this something that. Why have Christians done this through the ages? Is this something we look at from Scripture or our culture, or what's motivating this?

Danielle 00:03:58  Yeah, I know that that's true. And I think throughout the history of the church. I mean, first we can start back in the scriptures where we see people in the scriptures do this. Like in the Old Testament, you would see Moses. You would see Elijah just taking time by themselves away from all of the people and things that they were people and that were serving and things they were doing.

Danielle 00:04:18  Jesus did this several times. We have recorded that. Jesus took a pause and a break. we also see them returning. So that's why I say we're not just skipping out, you know, but they they took pauses. And so, that's that's a biblical and scriptural example to give us a start.

Lindsay 00:04:35  Yeah, yeah. It is. You see that in Scripture where Jesus, says he pulled away from the crowds, or I think it's in Luke. It says he went to lonely places or isolated places, which is an interesting thing to think about. Like the Savior of the world. Big mission, you know, tons of opportunities.

Joe 00:04:57  Amazing.

Lindsay 00:04:58  And he pulled away.

Joe 00:04:59  All this work that has to get done. He's only got three years to do it.

Lindsay 00:05:02  Yeah, he. And he knows in his divinity this.

Joe 00:05:05  Is the eternities of all of mankind. Hang in the balance. And Jesus takes a walk to a lonely place.

Lindsay 00:05:11  Yeah. Oh, wow. That's a word for somebody right there.

Danielle 00:05:15  That'll preach.

Lindsay 00:05:16  Right there. That'll preach right there. Joe, how have you understood this?

Joe 00:05:19  Anything you would add? You really. I have to share. Yeah. Yes.

Lindsay 00:05:23  No, I don't want less from you.

Joe 00:05:25  I am so you guys, I. This has been like, a more of a newer discipline for me over the last, probably five years or so, I would say. I had glimpses of it in my past with here, and it was important, when I was in seminary. doctor Maria Crabtree was very connected to Ruth Hayley Barton, who is someone that we've all we're all learning and we've all learned from and gave me this book on. You know, you need to get away in science of solitude, and you need to less in order to be able to connect with God in this way. And I was just a driven kind of maniac of a person with my relationships being very extroverted at the time. I'm much more introverted now, but extroverted lots in my mind. My mom was always moving hard to slow down.

Joe 00:06:14  Every time I would do it, it would become. It would be very difficult where I think we're going to talk about some of that. but for now, for me, it's very much of a lifeline between me and God. And, and I think when Danielle was sharing the description there, I got a picture of Joel and I on the couch, and, that's our favorite thing. So Saturday mornings, we sit on the couch, we drink coffee, and it's silent.

Danielle 00:06:41  Yeah.

Joe 00:06:41  And it's just focus between the two of us. Sometimes we look each other in the face. A lot of times we just look out the window together. Yeah. And we just follow wherever where we we are going with our conversation. But it's just her and I. There's no other noise. There's no TV on, there's no social media. We don't have our phones on. We we might from time to time. But it's just her and I in this in this, like, date time where we're focused together.

Joe 00:07:04  Yeah. And so for me, that's a little bit of what it is for me to get alone with God. It's a little like that.

Lindsay 00:07:12  So let's, let's talk about that more because when we talk about less and getting away, it sounds pretty amazing. But ideally yeah try to flesh it out for us a little bit. As far as like what does that actually look like in reality if we're talking this is a spiritual discipline or spiritual practice that we do regularly. What does that look like? Is it like meditation? Is it like, how is it different than prayer? Like flesh out for us a little bit of what is entailed? Are we trying to empty ourselves of our thoughts? What? Help me understand.

Danielle 00:07:55  Yeah. I'm going to use this Dallas Willard quote that talks about solitude as choosing to step aside from human contact for long enough periods of time to reorient our souls to the presence of God. And when I think about that, choosing to step aside and that's that's the practice. We're not necessarily looking to do anything specific.

Danielle 00:08:17  I love Joe's example of just, you set up this space like we're just sitting on the couch. So you're intentionally doing things to kind of set up the time, but then you just kind of wait and you're just kind of there. Which does sound a little scary because it's like, what am I doing?

Joe 00:08:30  What am I waiting? What am I waiting for?

Lindsay 00:08:32  What's going.

Danielle 00:08:32  To happen? Well, I know when it comes, you know, but that's that's part of the anticipation. I think it's even like thinking of cleaning a room. And you go and you clean out all of this space, and now you have this empty space and you're thinking, oh, okay, so now I need to fill it. But really, you just kind of go in the empty space and you enjoy the space that is filled with the presence of God. It doesn't have any other distractions, and it's hard to pinpoint what it would look like for each person. But I have a sense that when we practice it, as we begin to practice it, the Holy Spirit meets us there and we begin to know what this means for me.

Danielle 00:09:03  You know what God's speaking or what he might be doing, but it's creating that space. So even if it's just the activity of, okay, I'm going on a walk or I'm pausing to be silent. That's part of the activity, even if it's for five minutes and then wait and wait. And that part is hard for us because it's like, what does that mean? What are the answers? What do I do? But we have to there's a trust element and a faith element in it too, that God is going to show up and lead us there.

Lindsay 00:09:29  Yeah.

Danielle 00:09:29  So we don't know. It's a little bit mysterious. We don't know everything that's going to happen in that space.

Lindsay 00:09:35  That's hard for us.

Danielle 00:09:36  Yes, of course it's hard for us. Even as I said, I know there's people out there like, okay, I don't know.

Lindsay 00:09:40  Let me, let me, let me rephrase that. That's hard for me.

Joe 00:09:42  Yeah.

Lindsay 00:09:43  Yeah. Right. Yeah. Like what's what's going to happen.

Lindsay 00:09:46  How how do I know I'm being successful. Right.

Danielle 00:09:48  And I feel like we want to check off these little boxes. We have to trust and trust God. God is also interacting with us in this thing.

Joe 00:09:55  It's amazing. We're so, We're so self LED, right? Like so just I mean, in some ways it sounds, of course we are where our we are.

Lindsay 00:10:06  Personally, I don't know. I think you're on to something. When you said that, I was like, oh.

Joe 00:10:09  So even like, just let me let me just push on something for a second. So you're, we're self led when we read scripture. So we're looking in the Bible and we're interpreting it and reading according to what we think it's supposed to be saying, or sometimes even what we want it to say.

Danielle 00:10:24  Sure.

Joe 00:10:24  Yeah, sure. We're self led when we pray often. Like lots of prayers that we're speaking out or we're even praying them in our thoughts. We're, we're, we're.

Lindsay 00:10:32  Setting the agenda a little.

Joe 00:10:33  Bit. Yeah. Yeah. Right. We're taking we're taking it somewhere with us. And God it's kind of us towards God telling him, or we even remember what we think we want, right? With what we're talking about here this morning is we're saying, Lord, we want you to we're making space for you to set the agenda. Yeah. Right. And we're opening ourselves up to say, God, what do you what do you want to do in this time? Really good.

Danielle 00:10:58  I like to often say I'm coming to God with this empty space on purpose, like I have carved out in ten minutes, five minutes, an hour. Whatever it is, there's not any distractions. As much as I can control. There's not anything I have created empty space that I'm just asking God to be with me in it. And again, I know that feels really mysterious and, you know, like, it can be overwhelming to us, but it's really just saying, I'm going to pause. I'm going to set aside some empty time, and then I'm going to ask the Lord to be with me in it.

Lindsay 00:11:28  And I would even challenge that. I don't think we need to apologize for that. I think some of us maybe need a little bit more mystery in our relationship with God. We we've got everything diagrammed out and explained out and planned out and logical. And yeah, we've.

Joe 00:11:44  If that's a box.

Lindsay 00:11:45  Yeah. God has become so small to us, to be honest. If we can totally grasp him and explain him and it's all letting God be God. Yeah. In a in a really purposeful way. So okay, let me ask then here's my next question. If someone is to engage this and they're like, listening to this and they're thinking, oh wow, I, I think I need this. What they're describing definitely is something the spirit's probably.

Joe 00:12:12  I'm at least intrigued.

Lindsay 00:12:13  Intrigued by it. And they take a little space. Let's say okay, in the morning, I'm just going to take ten minutes like you do with Joanne, with God. I'm just going to just sit in silence. What might they experience? What might they find there or what will face them? Is it the Lord going to show up in his angels?

Danielle 00:12:36  Yes.

Lindsay 00:12:36  Yes. Like the whole host of angels. And I ask that just to be very clear. I think there's a reason we don't practice this regularly. Because I think when we get to that place, we're intrigued, we're curious. But what might we face? What challenges might what might face us there in that spot?

Joe 00:12:53  Yeah. I mean, just jump jump in. The challenges that I face are mainly from within myself, and it's many of the things that I desire to do or to work on or to accomplish that interrupt and make this more difficult. And so for me for years, the hardest thing was when I would try to practice this pause before the Lord making space and and just signs of solitude. My mind would just be racing. And it'd be thinking about all these different things and I couldn't stop it. It felt like it was like. and this inner compulsion to go and to do something when I'm sitting here trying to be silent before the Lord compound that with, it seems like nothing's happening.

Lindsay 00:13:43  So you're wasting time on.

Joe 00:13:44  Top of wasting time. So not only is it not.

Danielle 00:13:46  Being.

Joe 00:13:46  Productive, not only is it not really very enjoyable, do I can see a bunch of things that would be more enjoyable or at least productive? And then God seems distant. It makes it not very compelling to.

Lindsay 00:13:59  Just stick.

Joe 00:14:00  With that, to Stick with.

Lindsay 00:14:01  This. Yeah. Yeah.

Danielle 00:14:02  Yeah. No, I think that's really, really fair. And, I think that sometimes we face the challenge of, like, the outer stuff. Like, we have to quiet the outer things in our life, whether that's just, you know, getting into a quiet space or taking a moment away. And I totally agree with what Joe's saying, where that internal chatter, I like to call it just starts to race through. And so I think that's a big challenge too. So we can notice where is our primary challenge. Is it hard just first of all, hard to make that space, outside of ourselves where we just, you know, need to figure that out.

Danielle 00:14:34  And then when we get into it, I think if we are facing that kind of racing of the mind and internal chatter that it's okay to choose something specific, don't just sit there. Like even choose a favorite scripture or choose a favorite, you know, song or something like that where we can. Not that you have to play it, but where we can focus our attention on something to start. Because if we just sit there with empty space and we're trying to not think about anything and it's super hard for us and it's getting frustrated. Well, then choose something. Choose something and start. Start there. There's nothing. There's nothing wrong with that. You're still sitting in the presence of God. With with God.

Joe 00:15:11  Because it's like a it's like a muscle. It's like, this is something that we grow in. It doesn't. We're not going to we're not going to be able to spend hours alone with the Lord in silence and solitude right away. Right. And so the things that you're saying, then, you know, they're going to help us begin to practice this, learn we're going to grow in it.

Joe 00:15:27  And over time, we're going to see a change.

Danielle 00:15:30  Yeah. I would also say I when I started this practice, I paired it with something that I already do. like, I love to cook and then so I would just cook in silence. And then when I did that, it was it was a prayerful meditation. No podcast, no music. Nobody was kind of there. I just had maybe, you know, I don't know, an hour or something. And I would just be making something, maybe even something familiar to me that I don't need to think and read the recipe or whatever. But I would say that if it's hiking, taking a walk, going out and doing something, pair it with something you already do and practice that in silence. Trying to focus on here I am, God. I'm making myself available to you. So that way there's something familiar to you already. While you're there, something's unfamiliar to you.

Joe 00:16:13  Yeah, wonderful. Some people describe, a run, like, for me when I run.

Joe 00:16:17  Yeah. Rather than putting on something, even a podcast that I'm learning about something scriptural thing, whatever. Sometimes I'll do that, but other times I'll just run in silence. Yeah.

Danielle 00:16:27  Or go for a drive.

Joe 00:16:29  Or go for a drive or some people describe the showers that are time, you know, wherever you feel like you can just like go. And it's like your posture of your heart is going to lean into God. Yeah. And there's space there for that to happen. Is, is where we can begin especially.

Danielle 00:16:43  Yes.

Lindsay 00:16:43  Yeah. I think for some people too, it makes me think of listening to you guys when you first practice this, oftentimes we put, the blame squarely on love in a noisy world, a busy world, you know, we're go, go, go ourselves. But our internal world is very noisy.

Danielle 00:17:03  Sure.

Lindsay 00:17:03  I think of the numbers of people that struggle with anxiety. And just as you were talking, I do want to just mention that for some people it is hard because you have to face that and it will feel worse.

Lindsay 00:17:17  Yes. Like one of the struggles is often we do spiritual disciplines hoping it's going to make something better.

Danielle 00:17:25  Right.

Lindsay 00:17:26  Right. It's going to bring me peace. It's going to bring me more joy or calm. And here is a discipline where you're saying it actually might feel worse. Yeah. Before it feels better.

Danielle 00:17:38  Because you take.

Lindsay 00:17:39  Away all those distractions and your anxiety is just sitting there right there staring you in the eyes. Yeah. So, so what's, what would be some good first steps for people. You gave a little bit if they're feeling drawn to this so they don't feel discouraged because it's like this is really hard for me. How? How would they begin to do that? you talked about practically, but like length of time. Is there tools they can use? to just help us get a little started? I know sometimes I'll give it a maybe I won't give that example, but. Right. We can be like, I'm going to do this, and we don't like to start slow or small.

Lindsay 00:18:28  but maybe that would be the best thing for people.

Joe 00:18:31  Yeah, I, I mean, I that's really such a great question. Lindsay and, I, I the thing that comes to mind for me is I would think about an area that you feel like you can relax. What is it that helps you relax? Yeah. And and that's often a good starting place because it's very difficult when we're filled with anxiety or we're stressed out about, different things to, to say, okay, we're going to try to make space for God in the middle of that, outside of like, reading Scripture or praying out loud, right? Or praying. So the things that were like. So for me, a big thing for way that I started in that was running. So I'm a regular runner. It's a way one of the things that are good for me or when I'm working out at some level. Another part was I love to get away in the woods, so when I get into the woods, it's relaxing for me.

Joe 00:19:18  And so I would try to, like Danielle said earlier and what I'm already doing, try to make space to just I'm going to just listen. I'm going to say, God, I'm available to you. I might talk to God and I might just listen. And there's a whole other topic for us to talk about. How do we listen to the Lord? That's, beautiful. but I think when you finding ways, you relax.

Lindsay 00:19:40  Okay. Yeah. And then would you, do you just let your mind wander? Wander or. And then you can pitch it on this, or do you have a, like, just not having noise? Like, I think a lot of people are like, what should I be doing with the silence? I think it's a good question.

Danielle 00:19:59  Yeah. No, I.

Lindsay 00:19:59  Think it's a good question. Is there a tool that can just help them to get started? pick a word.

Danielle 00:20:05  Yeah, yeah, I was going to say something like that. Like, if you want to do something and you feel like called to do something spiritual in that moment, you can pick a word, you can pick a scripture.

Danielle 00:20:13  You can pick a favorite, something that you have to look up, just whatever it already is in you or something you heard in a sermon or whatever that you just want to focus on. So that's kind of a little bit of that meditative practice. But just I'm going to just think about the scripture. Think about this word sometimes when people I've heard people describe, when they're out in nature or on a run, they pay attention to just other things around them, just like, wow, look at God's creation. You know that I'm out here with and just kind of paying attention to that and noticing what God has done there. But I think it's okay to start somewhere with something practical like, let me focus on, you know, this, this word or this scripture. it shouldn't be if it feels nerve wracking to think I'm just going to be quiet, then pick something and and start small. Start either with a small amount of time. If that feels like the time factor feels overwhelming. I can't imagine doing this for an hour.

Danielle 00:21:08  We'll start with 5 or 10 minutes, and then in that time just say, I'm going to be here. I'll be with God. And I'm focusing on, you know. I don't know. Psalm 23, verse one or something. Just pick something and be be in that space.

Lindsay 00:21:20  Yeah, I think, I think because I can be in silence and fill my mind with all sorts of problem solving. Sure. which I think is maybe not the whole point.

Danielle 00:21:31  Not quite.

Lindsay 00:21:31  Yeah. so this has been something I've been trying to grow in. I've done it at times, but never I avoid it. It's something I avoid. Very busy in my mind. and I will say I actually went on Amazon and got a timer. And just to help me, because I don't have my phone anywhere near me from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.. And so because it's, I see it and then my mind is like, oh boy, I got to deal with that.

Joe 00:22:00  There's all kinds.

Lindsay 00:22:01  Of all sorts of stuff.

Lindsay 00:22:02  Sure. but then I don't know how much time. It's just. And then that caused me anxiety, so I just got a little timer. Nice. And in the mornings. And I just said it. Ten minutes, and I just sit there in silence, and I just choose a word or phrase for I normally do the same thing for a few days, and it kind of shifts as time goes on. just if people want a picture of that and that's all I do. And I trust that the Holy Spirit is doing something. I, I can't say I have no idea that he, if he is or not I, he is. Of course he is. I just can't quantify it.

Joe 00:22:31  And you know, one of the things I think that the Lord is doing in us all the time when we do this is even we're so we're going all the time. Yeah. It's it's, it's, it's there's like things that are just shaken up in our minds that it feels like we can't let it settle.

Joe 00:22:44  Right. And and it's like, I think the practice of doing this and slowly starting slow, increasing over time allows us the discipline of trying to be able to settle and and let our mind let everything kind of slow down. Yeah. So that we can get into a place where it's not about everything happening in our lives or not about everything that we want or see, but we can open up space more for God to speak to us.

Danielle 00:23:07  Yeah, absolutely. And then a reminder too. It's the obvious. But ask for the Holy Spirit's help. Like talk to God about. I'm trying to do this practice. I really want to be with you in these ten minutes. Help me, you know, assist me and help me. Really good and trusting God will do that.

Lindsay 00:23:21  Maybe we could end just with an encouragement. How has God met you? In silence and solitude. It could be a specific, like a time or over time, the practice. what has it done for you? What have you experienced in it that could.

Lindsay 00:23:35  That's just beautiful. And, Yeah, just it's such a testimony of how God works in our lives. Joe, why don't you go first? How have you met God in this?

Joe 00:23:45  I you know, for me, this has been, one of the most meaningful aspects of my growing relationship with God over the last, like I shared earlier, five years. And for me, I look forward to this time now because in, in some bigger ways and often smaller ways. I sense the Lord's leading more in those times and, direction and input and encouragement and correction, then all those things in those times. Times of silence with the Lord than I do any other, any other way at this point. And so, it's developed for me to the point where now I love actually scheduling time and getting away and doing that, whether it would be, a cabin for a night or a couple of days or, anything like that where I can just this is the time for me to get away and and spend, devoted time with the Lord.

Joe 00:24:37  That's longer. And, I would say it's it's just it's been something that has been the most nourishment for me. So it's turned into, spiritual nourishment for me to have that kind of space with the Lord.

Lindsay 00:24:52  Really? Good. What about you, Daniel?

Danielle 00:24:55  I would say I, I think I started the practice probably about nine years ago, when I was in the community that you guys are participating in with Ruth Hayley Barton, and they had this thing called the Great Silence. You know, where you're just quiet. You're just not allowed to talk to anybody and just be quiet and encouragement. And I remember it was just a restful time. And I think when I engage in silence and solitude now, it just feels so peaceful to my soul. It feels like the the chatter that's within me, the chatter that's around me, the things that I have in my mind. It's not that I always feel so peaceful about, you know, any things I'm trying to decide or whatever, but just a sense of God's peace with me.

Danielle 00:25:33  His presence is right there, and he's with me and it's yeah, it's probably my favorite spiritual practice.

Lindsay 00:25:39  Yeah, yeah, I, I believe it's something that probably more and more people need and actually long for. even if they face obstacles or feel a little unnerved by it, there's something on the other side of maybe those first rough waters where it feels like I don't know what I'm doing or I don't know if this is working. I remember when we were with Ruth, Hayley Barton, and we're going to I'm going to put in the show notes for book Invitation to Silence and Solitude. Very practical. Help people with this. She said, that often you feel like God's doing nothing. Yes. The Holy Spirit's doing nothing. This was my interpretation. She was much more gentle than how I say this right now. But what I heard the Holy Spirit say through her was, you don't know that, and you have no right to say that. Yeah. Like who are you to say. Because I can't feel it or quantify it.

Lindsay 00:26:32  He's not actively working in your life. And there's something so beautiful of saying, I actually have nothing to do with this, I can't help myself. Even I'm just present with you. And it's just like ultimate childlike trust that I just trust I'm present with you and you're doing the work. Yes. And you're. And I'm going to trust that. And there's incredible peace in that.

Joe 00:26:56  Yeah, it's in one of her books, she shares the example of a jar that has dirt, water and dirt in it. And when you take.

Lindsay 00:27:02  Like, river.

Joe 00:27:02  Water. Like river water, you know, and you shake that water up with the dirt and the bottom and it gets all sooty and it's not clear and it's kind of messy. And then when you set that down on the table and you let the dirt begin to settle. Yeah. At first it doesn't look like anything's really change and maybe a little, but over time it settles and the water is clear.

Lindsay 00:27:20  Yeah. Yeah.

Joe 00:27:22  So.

Lindsay 00:27:22  And you realize.

Joe 00:27:23  That, and you realize it in the beginning, we don't realize that the Lord is actually part of what he's doing in this practice is allowing us time to just settle. Yeah. And just give space. But it in time, you'll see the results of that. Right. By the way you might not.

Lindsay 00:27:37  It it really is one of those practices is, is this real trust in the sovereignty of God. Yes. And his sovereign ability to do what he needs to do. So I hope that this is a beautiful invitation for you and, encourage you to maybe try it out. Take a step. ten minutes. for every day or every other day. It doesn't have to be too often. Maybe go for a walk. do something simple. Simple. Make dinner in silence. Maybe not if you have a two year old. Yeah. True. That's true. But, yeah, I would just invite you. And not to be deterred. If it feels a little awkward or clunky or. I'm not sure if this is working, to maybe just trust this will be a different journey than some of the other disciplines, and that could be a really good thing.

Lindsay 00:28:28  So thank you for joining us on this journey of the spiritual disciplines. I hope it's a big blessing to you.

Speaker 1 00:28:37  Thanks for tuning in to the Pursue Reality podcast. Reality church is a local church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. To learn more or get connected, visit us at Pursue Reality.