The Importance of Stillness: Silent Musings from God’s Holding Patterns
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Do you feel the tension? Has the disillusioned process left you weary? Are you holding on for dear life to every prophetic promise that has been spoken in your life? Are you in a situation where you are targeted for your strength and prowess yet, it’s not your will but God’s will that prevails? Can you feel the sting of unrighteousness from a spouse, partner, friend, confidant, business associate or neighbor who doesn’t understand the position you have been called to heed in this moment in your life? Are you in a financial whirlwind with more bills than money presently to secure the debt? Did you ever feel like throwing in the towel and giving up? Well, you are not alone. Michael Jackson, Legendary Music Savant experienced the same trauma, drama, pain, upheavals, lies, deceit, aloneness, brokenness, and blindness and still was able create magic out of those insidious moments.
Michael Jacksons’ hit song “You are not Alone” is a song from his ninth studio album History: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 (1995). If you can truly picture the irony of this song remember it was written by R.Kelly (R&B Sensation was wrote “Step in the name of Love”)who we all know has been in the media lately with tons of sexual misconduct allegations against minors. The important thing to note from R. Kelly and Michael Jackson as it relates to the holding patterns you may be experiencing at this moment is that you are not alone. There are thousands of individuals like you and me who has had difficult childhood experiences, near death experiences, abuse, neglect, betrayal, and just moments in time that has made us neglectful of the healing that needed to take place. Instead, we would keep trying to push past the pain as if it would just somehow go away.
Many times, the shame that we created from our mistakes binds our hearts into a place, where we feel like a “Native Son” which Richard Wright explains as a black youth who lives in utter poverty. Although, we are bigger than our circumstances the weight of indifference and stagnation can make us feel like the mountain is too big to overcome. The embers of the psychedelic whirlwind want to speak to us in these moments, but we must settle in our hearts that its necessary to stay positioned for the turnaround.
You might have been in the waiting room for the last 5, 10, 15, 20, years or longer. What’s important to understand is that God operates outside of time and may be a tough pill for your inner circle to swallow in this instant everything age. Overnight successes usually take in the ballpark of 15-20 years in some cases. Sometimes you will fly around and around until there are favorable conditions to land. Delay does not mean denial.
Let nature take its course in your life and don’t try to change what seems uncomfortable and illogical to those in your inner circle. Approach the negativity head on in a logical and emotionally sound manner. Work on your communication in this process and do not let the chips fall where they may. Despite their displeasure with the path you have been called to venture, learn the importance of “Speech Acts”, and make a declaration that you will trust God no matter what. If you are not living up to their expectations allow them room to move into a space that meets their demands. Profit by these experiences in the holding pattern. Remember, all patterns are different and are tailored according to the plan and purposes of God for that particular individual’s life. Make a virtue of necessity and turn those God moments into your advantage,
The biggest revelation that will come from your Joseph (prison to the palace) is stillness. If you were to Google the word stillness, I am sure 300 million searches would pop up, giving you an indication of its significance. These holding patterns are teaching you how to depend on God wholeheartedly and to hear his voice. The clutter of this world through television and social media can dampen your frequencies. The channels must be open, and you must be receptive to the silent musings of God. He has not forgotten about your deeds, goodwill to mankind, the sacrifices, heartache, loss, and or grief. At this stage it’s about the realization and comprehension that God is in total control. At this point, you are not listening to your money or any external influences that would try to sway your opinion concerning the situation that you find yourself in. Dance like David danced and starting thanking God now for the transformation.
Frustration, pain and confusion is part of the process as it was never meant to be easy. It’s a test of your faith. Be strong, courageous and allow the purpose of God to be accomplished in your life. Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning. In Psalms 13:1 (KJV), King David asks God “How long will you forget me? Forever? God, don’t you see this debt, these creditors that are coming at my head, don’t you see this marriage that is on the rocks, can’t you see me struggling to make ends meet? Did you forget that I came over here to America on a slave ship and haven’t seen no type of reparations yet? King David was acknowledging that if God didn’t come to the rescue his enemies could disavow the name of God. Yet, David trusted in God’s mercy and salvation to pull him through.
Again, you are not alone and the stillness of these holding patterns grants you this deeper spiritual connection with the Father. You must learn to wait on God and learn to hear his voice. Your vocation will come from listening to God speak. Whether its audible, through books, movies, nature, colors, family, documentaries, the weather and a host of other contexts that God can speak to us, find the means for listening to this guidance from within and your journey will become a lot smoother.
