Words With Intent
8.19.2024
By: Ray SaVonne
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.” - Proverbs 18:21
Over the years, I’ve been told “you didn’t have to say that,” or “let me finish” (as I interrupted someone while they were telling a story). I didn’t think my commentary was unwarranted and I didn’t feel like I was “interrupting” people when I’d ask them a followup question mid-story. But, then there’s always that self-realization of “if multiple people are telling you this, then there must be some truth to it.”
This year in particular, I kept hearing this voice in my head saying, “you talk and share too much.” It hit me one night - mid sentence - while I was yet again, “talking and sharing too much.” I said aloud, “I need to take a vow of silence” without even realizing I said it. At that moment I KNEW that the voice in my head was God. He was telling me I needed to practice self-control, self-awareness and intentionality with my words. So, I decided to take a vow of silence.
In order to really understand the value and weight of my words I would intentionally not say anything at all (ironic huh, haha). I went 5 days without speaking to anyone; no phone calls, texts, facetimes, social media messaging, etc. - people could talk to me, but I intentionally refrained from responding.
I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into it, but through the experience, I realized:
Silence is a gift
Not speaking allowed God to guide my focus. I was able to slow down, acknowledge God’s beautiful creations, hear things I normally wouldn't, and decompress on another level. Each 24 hour day seemed to be so much longer than normal as I was able to get more done in less time (because there were no outside distractions).
Silence can get loud and lonely (I was not prepared for that)!
As the days went on, it became harder and harder to refrain from speaking. Manytimes, I did feel lonely, especially when God led me to some really great epiphanies and I’d wanted to share them with my friends/family like I normally would… but I couldn’t. I had to find comfort in my spirit knowing God was right there with me. It was clear to me that God was slowly transitioning me out of my normal routine and into His presence each day.
It’s OK to keep some things to myself/only between God and I.
There are things God wants me to come to Him and only Him about first. Not to say my trusted friends/family wouldn’t be of help, but there are certain things only He can give me the answers to.
Words hold weight.
Being mindful and intentional about the words that I allow out of my mouth lets me regulate the amount of attention and life I give to them. In doing so, I ensure I’m not giving people or things unnecessary power or power for them to potentially become something much bigger than God ever intended for them to be!
Thoughts have just as much power as actual words.
Just like words, I realized my thoughts hold power too! - My thoughts do have power, but “I” have power to change my negative thoughts into positive ones!
Listening is more important than responding.
I need to listen more and talk less. It’s okay to not respond immediately nor does everything need my immediate response or opinion. I realized when people would say “you didn't have to say that,” or “let me finish,” it was their way of nicely letting me know I’ve overstepped a verbal balancing boundary in the conversation.
Although this experience was challenging, I do think it was a great learning experience! If you’re feeling like you need to take a couple of days to detach from your everyday norms in a different way, a vow of silence may be for you too!
Here’s to taking the time to slow down, listen and acknowledge the things we’d normally ignore!
XO,
The Kléi
