Exploring Silence
Developing Creativity
 

Draw our souls to stillness,
that we may sense where
You are beckoning,
and recognize things
we would otherwise miss.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The world will never starve for wonders, but only for want of wonder . . . Because children have abounding vitality they want things repeated and unchanged. They say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough.

It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again,’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again,’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we are. (G.K. Chesterton)

When inspiration arrives, it often does so at the most unlikely times and in the most unusual places. Since our memories are short, and we are past masters at putting things off – to say nothing of the devil having had plenty of practice at snatching good ideas away – we are wise if we record precious insights in an easily retrievable place just as soon as we can.

Much that the Lord alerts us to through His Still Small Voice is not so much ‘new’ knowledge as reminders that help us to apply what we already know. Buried within our subconscious lies the repository of all that we have ever read, heard, or experienced, not to mention the emotions that accompanied them. At any time, the Lord can activate these memories, experiences and insights – even from long forgotten episodes – and use them as a pointer to make sense of some situation that we are going through.

To continue Chesterton’s argument, may the Lord rekindle within us the eagerness of a child to learn and discover new things. Blessed are they who encourage people to develop their creative gifts, and to venture out beyond the reefs of disappointment and rejection.

For Reflection and Prayer