Trust Sister Silence
The retreat master said it in passing. Tossed it quickly into the air and smartly went on to the next exciting story.
'Oh!' I gasped. 'I could use that’. Sure it needs a little bit more head-scratching and soul-searching, but that’s a really good phrase.
Over in the Yarra Valley, we were on retreat and basking in delicious, scrumptious silence. Apart from our prayers and The Retreat Master offering us thought-provoking morsels to savour, no one was muttering anything. It was very yummy.
Some of my colleagues find the silence confronting, some are non-plussed by it… a take-it-or-leave type of thinking. Others like myself can’t wait to dive straight in and loll around in solitude.
You can trust the silence. It won’t let you down. Sure some ghosts and demons of the past may raise their ugly heads to sneer and taunt you, but they are just there and you have time and space to stare straight back at them. See them for what they really are and maybe even squash them with the mallet of reconciliation. The silence gives you the time and space to do this. Sister Silence is your greatest ambassador and your most potent weapon. You can trust the silence. Do not be afraid of it.
The good thing is you don’t have to go all the way to the Yarra Valley to find Sister Silence. She can come to you at any time and in any place. All you have to do is put out the Welcome mat and make sure she has the opportunity to work her healing magic.
Overall the retreats and all the quiet days, Sister Silence has never let me down. Ever. She has always soothed, calmed and massaged my soul.
Trust the silence.