If you ask a handful of people around you how their day or week is going, the unfortunate reality is that at least one of them will probably respond with a sigh & one word: “Busy.” I used to think that keeping busy was a necessity because it would eventually lead to success and ultimately happiness, but now I laugh at that flawed logic.

I would pack my schedule with so many different things that it all became a blur. I now know it was because I was not living life the way God intended for us to live – with Him in it. Over the past 2 years, the Holy Spirit has been stirring in my heart and drawing me to the power that silence can have in our lives if we make the time for it. In a world that is constantly trying to fill our lives with noise, I have come to realize that it is essential to not only make time for God (the Sacraments, acts of service, etc.) but to also make time for silence with Him.

My time in Detroit with Mercy Volunteer Corps has been full of growth, a lot of new experiences, and has required a great deal of trust; but it has also been full of opportunities to spend time in silence with God. It is in those moments that I have seen God’s hand at work so clearly in so many different aspects of my year of service. The power of silence has allowed me to hear God’s voice so clearly; the power of silence has allowed me to feel God’s love so deeply; and it is thanks to the power of silence that I know there is more work that needs to be done in this noisy world full of people that are searching for a God who loves and cares for them. God wants so much for us to spend time with Him and He is always right there, just waiting for us to be still so that we can experience His grace, love, and mercy which come from the power of silence.

Becca Zatkulak: Detroit, Michigan