Early last month, John Mayer had throat surgery. He was ordered not to speak for two months or sing for six. In his own words:
“Well, here I am. Silent for the next few months, no singing for probably six, but all signs point to this being the last step in getting to perform again.
I’ll try and post more on here, but I’ve gotten really good at keeping my thoughts to myself and I don’t exactly see anybody starving for my take on things.
But it might be fun to offer some kind of window into this very odd and slightly beautiful time.”
– John Mayer, on his tumblr page
The hope is that six months from now, he’ll be able to continue doing what he loves. First, he has to heal.
And so he is silent.
Very odd. Slightly beautiful. Indeed.
There is something to this silence. I know his need is physical, but I haven’t been able to shake my curiosity over the connection between healing and quietness. Stillness. Listening.
We don’t have to stop talking in order to learn quietness of heart and of mind.
I am compelled to explore it. Maybe you’ll come with me.
This is the second post in a series, 31 Days to Hush. Click here to see a list of all the posts, updated daily. If you would like to receive these quiet thoughts in your email inbox, subscribe now.
Andi says
October 2, 2012 at 8:41 AMThank you for this. I need it just now.
I have long been fascinated with silence – that space where we are not accosted by sound or duty or thought. Thomas Merton has been a great guide for me in this.
Thank you again.
Southern Gal says
October 2, 2012 at 8:54 AMHush is such a beautiful sounding word when said in a whisper. I’m coming along.
Kristen-Chasing Blue Skies says
October 2, 2012 at 9:06 AMWhy yes, I think I shall come with you.
I love you, Emily.
Cherry says
October 2, 2012 at 9:11 AMThank you ~ I am looking forward to following this series. My “word of the year” for two years now has been “Listen”. I am finding that there is much more than I even imagined – so much to learn as we focus on listening, first to God, and then to those around us. And it does require us to have times of quiet, times specifically set aside for quiet, and also moments throughout our busy days. Time to focus – on God, and also on those who we desire to listen to, to hear their hearts. Thanks for choosing this topic for the month!
jimmie lee says
October 2, 2012 at 9:17 AMSilence for John Mayer might be for physical healing…
Silence could also be for spiritual healing… quietness, stillness and listening
Scooper says
October 2, 2012 at 9:22 AM“The hope is that six months from now, he’ll be able to continue doing what he loves. First, he has to heal.” This line brings tears to my eyes. I’m no famous singer or noteworthy anything, but this is sort of my story. It began with pain. I tried to soldier on. I could not. I am more quiet, still, and removed than I’ve ever been. Dreams sit on the back-burner and I’m at peace with that. I do the basics and little else. But it’s not easy. Doing nothing is some of the hardest work I’ve ever done.
Mindy Rogers says
October 2, 2012 at 5:13 PMSo true for me too. <3
Sonika says
October 6, 2012 at 4:39 PMCourage, friend…it takes a special kind of heart to wait for healing. Press on!
Shelly Wildman says
October 2, 2012 at 9:38 AMI don’t think it’s an irony that God tells us to “Be still” in order to know that He is God.
Alma says
October 2, 2012 at 9:48 AMBeing kind of a wallflower my self I am usually silent. I watch and listen. Take it all in. I took after my father to speak is a beautiful thing and words are important. Never take it for granted. So I choose words carefully.
To be silent to me is just as important too. Growing up in a city where everyone wants to be heard, no one really understood me. They mistook silence as rudeness. I understand John and have connected to his music. I am glad he has silence in his life for I know his next words will be just beautiful.
Alma says
October 2, 2012 at 9:50 AM“God put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth”
…one of my favorites
Julia Costas says
October 2, 2012 at 10:44 AM10-02-12
I am with you on your journey to a quiet mind & spirit. A quote I would like to share, “You gain strength,
courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” by Eleanor
Roosevelt (1814 – 1962).
Susan @ My Place to Yours says
October 2, 2012 at 11:27 AMBeautiful post! Several years ago when my husband lost his job, God called me to silence. It was a strange place — but one I learned to love. I’m looking forward to following your series. I’m writing one, too, and I’m finding it’s a wonderful exercise in growth.
Dawn says
October 2, 2012 at 11:50 AMOdd and beautiful. I so often forget how beautiful silence can be. I imagine that a “forced” silence is harder than one that is chosen. And I wonder if I don’t CHOOSE silence more often, if I might be forced to sometime. Be still is a command, after all…
Blessed&Broken says
October 2, 2012 at 11:55 AMOdd & Beautiful. Love it! I am preparing for a silent women’s retreat this weekend. Preparing is a word used very loosely, as I sit surrounded by the screams of little people. How do you prepare for silence? I can’t wait. So glad for this series!
Lisa says
October 2, 2012 at 3:23 PMI love the beauty of peace. Can you imagine how hard it will be to not speak for 6 months? Wow!
emily freeman says
October 2, 2012 at 4:14 PMwell, he only has to go 2 months without speaking – no singing for 6. But STILL. I don’t know if I could go 2 days, much less 2 months.
Melissa says
October 2, 2012 at 4:30 PMI think this may be one of my favorite posts of yours, ever. I recently took twitter and facebook off my phone in an effort to be still more, and just listen to God more. I was “talking” too much and just needed some quiet for my brain and my heart. The internet can be a busy, loud place! I am at a place right now where I have had trouble seeing God’s plan in some areas of my life, and the quiet of the last couple of weeks has helped me tremendously. In a way, I feel that the quiet is indeed helping me “heal” and see God’s plan. Thank you for this post!
Mindy Rogers says
October 2, 2012 at 5:12 PM“We don’t have to stop talking in order to learn quietness of heart and of mind.”
I’m looking forward to reading more about this and putting it to action in my own life. 🙂
patty says
October 2, 2012 at 7:38 PMit brings me peace, just to think of this healing silence.
Sonika says
October 2, 2012 at 7:58 PMWhat a challenge, to not speak for two months…I can barely manage a few hours of silence (at retreats)! I love the connection you’ve drawn between healing and silence; have you seen this link in your life before?
Kimberly Amici says
October 2, 2012 at 9:40 PMSilence, not speaking… I never knew how much I loved quiet until I had kids. 🙂
Not speaking definitely leads to healing. I think one of the reasons that’s the case is because it allows you to think deeply. In the past I have kept myself busy so I don’t have to feel, I am sure I have kept myself talking so I don’t have to think. Healing also comes when we are quiet enough to let God whisper into our heart and speak truth.
Kimberly says
October 2, 2012 at 10:06 PMI am enjoying the start to your 31 day series and excited about the topic. I had ideas and plans to write. But then, I felt the Lord nudging me to be quiet over the next 31 days. To position myself to listen. When I told my husband I would be taking a break from blogging and facebook, he asked if I was also going to be taking a break from talking. LOL. I told him not to get his hopes up.
Blessings, sweet Emily.
K
Holly B says
October 6, 2012 at 11:51 AMJust now making time to catch up with “hush”
oh my… “very odd, slightly beautiful” that stood out to me too.
I can’t help thinking lately that our earthly/fleshly “odd” is exactly what He uses for the “beautiful”
No “slightly” about it for me though – it’s been “shock your socks off” beauty amid my “odd”
Love love love this series.
Siobhan Calthrop says
October 17, 2012 at 7:10 AMHi Emily, I’ve been loving your Hush series, and this one in particular resonated with me. Love your blog full stop, and am thinking of subscribing which is quite a complement as I don’t readily subscribe to blogs (despite recently becoming a blogger myself). Keep up the wonderful musings, little treats for my soul.
I’ve been getting interested in Christian meditation and the incredibly rich and rewarding and even necessary practice of it. In this crazy, distracted, instantly needed world, its a huge panacea that I feel the modern evangelical Christian church needs to consider. The World Christian Community of Meditation is a great resource which puts you in touch wiht a local group, it follows the teaching of John Main. But there’s also some great secular books that are helpful, such as a fun one with cartoons by Headspace written by a Brit who used to be in advertising, depression caused him to stop his job, then he found meditation that has massively helped him. Anyway, I’m going on too long.
Check out also ‘Time to Think’ by Nancy Kline which is a book on how individuals, families and businesses can learn to build thinking environments, upon which learning how to Listen is a key component.
If you check out my blog, its a light hearted look at serious issues of parenting most specially the terrible tendency to compare ourselves with others or feel others are doing it better than us, hence the title. I really seemed to have hit on a subject when I wrote my post called ‘The Good Enough mums’….. better go, thanks again Emily.