Casting Pearls

 
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; and when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime. And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.” ~ Khalil Gibran

Happy New Month, the ninth in 2023. 4 months to go before we wrap up this trip around the sun. Last Friday, we considered silence as the absence of sound. The dwelling in solitude so as to hear the voices within and those without that would seek to be heard above the constant din of our busyness.

This week I want to consider silence in light of privacy, secrecy; operating under the radar without broadcasting one’s moves until the results are evident.

Many people come across great ideas but instead of developing them, they immediately go and broadcast their thoughts, and in the process, the idea gets murdered, washed in ice water, or worse, stolen and run off with. In life there is no shortage of wet blankets who live only to trash, belittle, and question the sanity of those who generate ideas – great or small. Yet the same people never come up with any ideas of their own. For some of us, our close relatives and associates will be the discouragers either because they cannot fathom us ‘overtaking’ them or they have such a small idea of us and a huge need to let us know what they think.

A wise woman once told someone, “Never tell the truth to the wrong person.” She never said to lie, but her message implies three things: You know the truth; you know the right or wrong person; you know to shut up when it’s the wrong person. #wisdom Not everyone has to know everything about your plans and goals and some of those should remain shut up in yourself until they are ready to be birthed.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers, “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs. They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” ~ Matthew 7:6, NLT Where do you go to seek validation? The dog pound? The pigsty? A lot of us spend time with vicious and bitter people who never see anything good and are always complaining. Then we make the mistake of bringing our ideas to such people for confirmation and validation. It is no wonder we get trampled and attacked.

In the very next verse, Jesus tells his followers to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8, NIV This asking, seeking, and knocking are to the one who gave you the pearls or ideas. Your Father in heaven. In prayer and meditation not at the base with your veve-combing buddies.

A lot of innovations and ideas are living dead among us because their visions were cast before swine. Many people walk around discouraged and defeated because ‘pigs and dogs’ told them they would amount to nothing and they believed them. If you’re one of them, my question to you today is “Who is your Father?”

Today, learn to journal and put your ideas down in a safe space. Spend time in silence and think over those ideas. Then go back to their source and discuss your resources, talents, and abilities or lack thereof to actualize those ideas. You just might find an abundance of supply that is beyond anything you have imagined or dreamed.

“In silence, we have an opportunity to reflect, listen, and gain new insights about ourselves. In Silence, we can think, feel, and most important of all, breathe. When you seek guidance, understanding, clarity, or peace of mind, the first step is to master the art of silence and to rethink the value of solitude.” Iyanla Vanzant

“Work hard in silence, let your success make the noise.” ~ Frank Ocean

“All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.” ~ Blaise Pascal

“Everything that’s created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Your words come out of this void. Your very essence emerged from emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.” ~ Wayne Dyer