When Silence Becomes Your Teacher

My Prayer Closet

Good morning. I want to invite you to come and sit with me for a minute.

Imagine we’re at the kitchen table or on the couch with a cup of coffee between us. No distractions. Just a real conversation.

I want to start by showing you something that changed my life. This is my prayer closet (pictured above). It’s not actually a closet at all, but when I explain it, you’ll understand why it matters so much.

A few months ago, my daughter Bianca sent me pictures of a prayer closet she created in her new home. In her office, she had transformed a simple closet into a sacred space where she could spend intentional time with God. When I saw it, something in me shifted. I didn’t just admire it — I felt drawn to it. I wanted a space like that too, a place to pause, breathe, and be honest with God and myself.

The thing is, our home here in New Hampshire doesn’t have extra closet space. In the past, I probably would have talked myself out of the idea or waited until things were “perfect.” Instead, I got creative. I took a simple presentation board, covered it with contact paper, and added envelopes as pockets for different areas of my life — health, family, finances, career, gratitude, letting go, answered prayers, and my work or calling. It wasn’t fancy, but it was intentional. And it became a place where I could finally sit still.

What surprised me most was how uncomfortable that stillness felt at first.

There was a time in my life when being alone with myself was hard. Silence didn’t feel peaceful — it felt loud. My thoughts raced. Old emotions returned. I felt anxious listening to the voice inside my own head. Looking back now, I can see it clearly. I had learned how to drown out that voice by staying in conversation with other people. Talking, processing out loud, explaining myself — it became a coping mechanism. If I’m being honest, it was almost like an addiction. As long as I was talking, I didn’t have to really hear myself.

I learned that pattern early. When I tried to express my feelings as a child, they were often dismissed or turned back on me. So I learned to explain more, talk longer, and seek validation outside of myself. As an adult, I noticed I carried that same habit into my relationships, especially when I felt misunderstood or unseen. Silence felt unsafe because it forced me to sit with truths I had spent years trying to avoid.

That’s why this prayer closet mattered so much. It wasn’t just about prayer — it was about learning how to be still without running. Learning how to sit with myself without judgment. Learning how to let God meet me in the quiet instead of trying to manage everything through conversation.

Around the same time, I started noticing how loud the world has become. The news, social media, the constant arguments about what’s right and wrong — it feels like everything we once agreed mattered is now up for debate. Kindness, character, accountability, respect. We argue about abuse. We justify cruelty. We normalize things that once felt unthinkable.

And yet, in the middle of all that noise, something else is happening. While the world feels like it’s falling apart, I believe God is rising — not in spectacle, but in people. In quiet conviction. In individuals choosing to slow down, get honest, and clean up their inner world instead of reacting to everything around them.

When I shared my prayer closet on TikTok, I never expected what happened next. The video reached hundreds of thousands of people. That response wasn’t about me or the board. It was about what people are craving. Stillness. Connection. A place to breathe. A place to talk to God without performance or perfection.

What I’m learning now is that energy follows awareness. What we focus on grows. When you stop pouring your energy into defending yourself, you suddenly have energy to discover who you are.. When you stop reacting to chaos, you begin responding to what you’re being called to do. My energy isn’t shrinking — it’s expanding. Not in a way that overwhelms me, but in a way that feels grounded and free.

If there really were a manual for how to live a blessed life, I don’t think it would start with productivity tips or success strategies. I think it would start with learning how to sit with yourself. Learning your patterns. Creating small sacred spaces. Practicing inner care the same way you practice outer care. Choosing peace even when it feels unfamiliar. Letting God lead where fear once ruled.

Before we end this conversation, I want to leave you with just two simple things to try. Nothing overwhelming.

First, create a small space for stillness. It doesn’t have to be a closet. It can be a chair, a corner of a room, or even your car parked somewhere quiet. Just decide that this space is for you and God. No phone. No fixing. Just presence.

Second, give yourself five minutes of silence. That’s it. If your thoughts get loud, don’t run from them. Just notice them. Breathe. Ask God to meet you there. You don’t need the right words.

This is just the beginning of the conversation. There’s more to talk about — patterns, healing, awareness, and what it really means to live instead of just survive. Consider this the first cup of coffee. More to come.

And if silence feels uncomfortable right now, you’re not doing it wrong. You might just be learning for the first time how to listen.