Marinating

Marinate: to soak in a mixture or marinade.

My thoughts have been marinating lately in a few quotes I've read this week. I found them in a book called ENJOY THE SILENCE by Maggie & Duffy Robbins. I pretty much 'stole' this book from Ryan after he abandoned it in the annex recently. I plan to give it back...don't worry! Here are the quotes...hope they speak to you also!

Cultivate my heart, Lord, so I may catch every word that falls from Heaven - every syllable of encouragement, every sentence of rebuke, every paragraph of instruction, every page of warning, help me to catch these words as the soft, fertile soil catches seeds. -Ken Gire

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Silence is God's first language; everything else is a poor translation... -Thomas Keating

My thoughts have been soaking in these two quotes! I love the part of "every syllable...every sentence...every paragraph...every page"! I love the idea of everything else being "a poor translation" for silence. I struggle at times with the whole "silence" deal. My mind is constantly running. It never walks, only sprints! I love it, but it makes studying difficult at times (and definitely a problem for hearing). I'm also a very visual person so these quotes really stood out to me. I don't want to have rocky soil, weed ridden soil, or shallow roots. I want be soil ready to grow whatever God plants in my heart!

I'll leave you with this...I personally want to watch to catch EVERY (not some, but EVERY) single word God has for me! How I want to see that for every young person! I wonder what thoughts drown out the words falling from Heaven? What is my dominate language? Is something smothering the silence? Hmmm...I think I will keep soaking!

Father, drown out the distractions in my mind and in my heart that keep me from hearing You. Help me to be a stand up person in this bow down world while constantly listening to You. Help me to catch EVERY word You drop from Heaven for me. I want to hear You completely! I love You! I need You! Whisper to my heart!