Blossoming Silence

I was sitting in the Quaker Meeting House yesterday morning enjoying the silence.  It really is quite peaceful to sit there with about 50 other people in complete silence.  Well, almost complete silence.

As I sat there in peace, I realized I was actually listening.  Sounds...lots of them...echoing in my ears.  But not the sounds you would expect.

When we were contemplating going to the Friends' Meeting House and talking to many people about it, the one thing people always mentioned was the clock.  A beautiful wooden clock hanging on the wall with a very loud tick-tock.  The clock can be maddening for some, but for me it brings much peace.  It reminds me of the steady passing of time, the heartbeat of this building and the history within.

The first time I attended a Meeting, I was struck less by the expected clock but more by the crackle of the fire in the fireplace.  The steady ticking of the clock accompanied by the random crackle of the fire were wonderful ambiance to the peaceful silence.

Yesterday I was struck by another sound, a sound which made me so happy I wanted to stand and dance (not a very popular move during the silent worship).  Birds!  Singing!  Outside!  Yippee!  Spring is here!

The sounds of the birds singing made me smile and I began thinking.  The "silence of sounds" is beginning to feel like a springtime blossom to me, opening slow and steady with a big finale.

Maybe that's the point, my journey down the road to Quakerism is meant to be slow and steady.  I will not become a Quaker overnight, it will take years to adjust to the Testimonies of Peace, Simplicity, Equality, and Integrity.  Personal challenges of becoming a more compassionate and caring person, along with letting go of some of my biases and material "wants".

With the work I have to do, I may be a later bloomer!