One of the most formative events of my high school career was a summer event we called “Wilderness”. “Wilderness” was our version of church camp for high school students grades ten through twelve, college and career, and adults. Every summer the church would send multiple crews up into the Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada to spend a week in the middle of nowhere. If I were to give someone instructions on how to get there I would tell them to drive north into Canada via Detroit, Michigan. Once there are almost no signs of civilization, go a few more hours north and that should put you right about there.
The quietness of being in a place like that can be eerie at times. This is especially true for extroverts who thrive on the noise and motion of large group interactions. There were days we would paddle and portage for hours and never see or hear even the faintest indication of the presence of another human. There were only the 12 or so of us in our group and that was it. After a few days of spending every waking hour together, the group would run out of things to talk about with one another. By about Wednesday the silence became deafening, and we would do whatever it took to avoid it.
It was at this point that those leading the trips would take the volume of the world down to zero. At just past midweek, everyone in the group would be taken to a spot around a lake. Each of us was left with their Bible, journal, writing utensil, water bottle, and food, by themselves, for the entirety of the day. We were instructed to read, pray, journal, and listen for the voice of God in the absolute silence of solitude. This was not to say that God was incapable of speaking to us in the midst of noise, but there is a clear precedent in Scripture for removing oneself from the distractions and noise of life to hear the voice of God.
I remember sitting on that island for hours looking at the pages of Scripture, doodling in my journal, praying with all I had in me, just hoping that God would say something to me. I had friends who had told me of incredible experiences on these “solo days” sitting in the middle of nowhere, staring out onto a picturesque lake, watching the sun dance across the sky, listening to the birds sing; and, in the stillness, experiencing the presence of God and clearly “hearing” His voice. He spoke to them through verses of Scripture. He spoke to them through memories. He spoke to them through ideas or dreams for the future. He spoke to them through a feeling of unspeakable peace. I would have taken a divine smoke signal over the ridge or any other form of communication. I just wanted to hear God’s voice. I waited all day and all I felt was anxious, exposed, and alone. Not exactly what I had hoped for!
Though I’ve only experienced two “solo days” in Canada, I’ve experienced several days and weeks when I’ve felt anxious, exposed and alone. We don’t have to go to the middle-of-nowhere Canada to have that experience. Many of us experience those same feelings daily in the middle of our places of work, our schools, our shopping centers, and even our homes and our churches. Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still and know that I am God.” This is an incredibly popular verse. It is a very simple and pointed reminder of WHO is God and who is not. Our situations are not always what we’d want them to be. And, God doesn’t always do what we want or expect Him to do. This verse provides no promise that our situation will change. What it does provide us is the assurance that whatever we are facing, we aren’t facing it alone. If God is with us, and if God is in control, then we can trust that He has a plan and a purpose for whatever we might be facing. There is hope and peace in the knowledge that God is on His throne and He is still working in our lives. We may not hear Him. We may not see Him. We may not feel Him. BUT, He is still there, He is still working, and in the stillness we can rest.
