in the silence

I attended my first Meeting for Worship this morning at the local Quaker Meeting. Silence was kept the entire time. In conversation with a Friend after worship, she told me that each meeting is different; last week, there was a lot of talking.

For me, the Meeting was both restful and invigorating. I loved not following someone else's agenda for spirituality, but rather be responsive to what God was doing inside of me. My yoga practice stood me in good stead this morning, for as I focused on breathing and being present, I was able to sit easily and alertly for a hour of silence. I found a very natural progression of thoughts - some bam bam bam right off the start, a sense of settling, a time of praying for others, a time of naming and appreciating my particular reality and a time of floating.

I'll leave you with this gem spoken at the time of sharing that followed the silence: "A desire abandoned is as good as a desire fulfilled". The speaker humorously gave his own postscript "...and perhaps better, as it's less trouble!"