Silence. It used to be that this word would send shivers through my system. I don't know if it's age, wisdom or a bit of both, but I now embrace it for the beautiful, soul refresher that it is. This past week gave me a few examples to explain why I love it so...
Silence lends itself to acts of grace: I was visiting with a friend the other day and we were discussing issues of leadership. He was telling me of giving counsel to a younger man and made this statement: "I really said too much in this situation. He (the one being counseled) wasn't ready to receive all of that information." How discerning and what a great lesson to learn as a leader/believer in Christ. Sometimes, we are better to give information in digestible amounts. Actually, that is much like the grace with which the Lord teaches us. I can't recount how many times I have read a particular passage, chapter or book of the Bible, only to not get it. Maybe on the 107th time, the light bulb goes off and I have that 'aha' moment. Many times it's because the Lord was spoon feeding me, allowing me to go through some life experiences, or knew that I would need to understand whatever the Scripture was teaching for something that I would experience at a later time. God is so gracious that way...never more than I can handle. I want to be that same gracious believer.
Silence allows us to actually hear our Savior speak to us: At our women's retreat, I found myself often 'retreating' to the outdoors from the main lodge. Partly because the setting was absolutely gorgeous and partly because I needed quiet. You see, 35 women in a small lodge carrying on 10-15 different conversations can get quite L-O-U-D! When I would go outside, the snow laden landscape was so quiet and inviting that it always rejuvenated my spirit! I could hear tree limbs fall, squirrels squawk or watch the big snowflakes fall lazily to the ground. A friend, who is a chatter like me, shared her 'aha' moment about silence that she experienced last weekend. She told me that during the morning quiet time, she and a few others were talking and she realized at one point that she was not prepared to discuss the devotion assigned because she'd been too busy yakking. She told me that the Lord humbled her in that moment and spoke this to her soul, " Be quiet now. I want to speak to you." Too cool! How often do I get so intent on what I want to say that I fail to hear another...especially the Lord? There is a saying that goes "if the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy." I think he is the master at keeping us audibly overwhelmed to the point that we feel we MUST have sound at all times. I want to carve out those times of complete quiet to hear Jesus speak.
Silence may be the most loving act we do: Finally, I know that while silence isn't a substitute for seeking wisdom, it certainly is one cure to keep from saying something stupid...or insensitive. Unfortunately, this example came in a very painful form. This past week, the community where I work has experienced several deaths...some expected, several very difficult. Young lives cut way too short. Parents saying good bye to their children. Young siblings trying to cope with the sting of death. One particular instance was a personal investment. One I had prayed for diligently to experience complete healing. One that dealt with more pain than any human should have to endure. One that has left more questions than answers. Toward the end of his time on earth, his mother had blogged about a conversation she'd had with God where she was asking why her child must experience such pain and agony and why hadn't God chosen to take him. It was a gut wrenching, honest plea to God. The kind that most parents would find themselves asking in the same situation. I was stunned, saddened and shamed at some of the replies to her honest blog. I felt those three things because I was looking in a mirror. How many times, in an effort to 'help', have I scribbled off a Bible verse, or worse, tried to talk them out of 'feeling that way' or defend God by trying to explain why it is going the way it is? Yes, I am about truth. I know that bad things happen to really good people, I know that we live in a fallen world where sin wreaks havoc in lives, and I believe that God is aware of all of this and cares more than I could ever comprehend. Yet, I don't know why this sweet mommy had to watch her child suffer. You know what? I don't have to have the answer. I am not God. I don't have to defend or explain Him. Just take a stroll through Psalms and you will find some very blunt, gutsy, passionate questions that David had the audacity to ask God...and God loved him for it. I believe that God isn't afraid of our honest questions. I believe that it's in those honest times of hurt and anger that He does his best work. I also believe that if we MUST respond in word, anything we say must be tightly wrapped in love and compassion. I firmly believe this mommy wasn't looking for answers from her fellow human beings. She knows that we don't have those answers. She was simply trying to share a severe pain that was going to swallow her alive if she didn't. Fellow believers, let's make a pact. Let's be those people who show Jesus' love and compassion on those who are hurting. They need our love, not a lesson in doctrine. Let's first respond in deed...an arm around them, a prayer for their hurting heart...and if we must say something...let's think twice before speaking.
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