The Sound of Silence

I haven't posted in a few days.  If you know me very well, you might have wondered if everything was ok with me.  If you're one of the few who care about me, you might have actually worried a bit.

What does silence sound like?  For me it's a ringing in my ears.  And the sound of the ringing gets louder and louder, until it becomes deafening.

Many years ago, Randy and I went to Mammoth Cave National Park.   As we toured a huge cave, the guide shared a story about a man who had gotten separated from his group.  In the darkness as he crawled around in the cave, unable to see his own hand in front of his face, he found two rocks and began banging them together.  

When the rescuers finally found him, they commended him for his brilliance in banging the rocks together so that they could find him.  He said, "I didn't bang the rocks together so you would find me.  I did it because the sound of silence was driving me crazy. "

Indeed, silence can drive us crazy.

As wives, we know the fear wrapped up in the sound of silence.   The questions.   The doubts.  The insecurities.

My husband travels a great deal for his job and when it gets late, I start checking my phone to make sure the ringer is turned up, but the phone remains eerily silent. And my imagination starts to run...

Why hasn't he called yet?  Where is he?  What if he's been in a car accident, or a gunman opened fire at a gas station...or what if _________________? (Fill in your biggest fear.)

When he finally does call, I'm torn between relief and being ticked off.  Can anyone else relate?

Silence can come in many forms.  Waiting to hear back from the doctor on test results.  Waiting to hear from a prospective employer, whether or not you got the job.  Waiting to hear the judges results, as your child sits nervously, after a stellar show choir performance .  Waiting to hear from your new teenaged driver, that they have arrived safely at their destination.

Silence can be painful.  Silence can be scary.  Silence can be maddening. It's no wonder we strive to fill every moment with sound.

But silence can be golden.  A welcome refuge on the heels on chaos.  There's a certain kind of peace in being with someone who is comfortable with your silence.   There's no superficial banter about the weather,  just honest conversation - or silence; and either is fine. They don't mistake your silence for apathy or anger.  They just sit with you, knowing that the silence will be broken when either of you has something meaningful to say.

So often I spend my prayer time filling the silence with my praises and concerns, my requests and confessions.   But sometimes God just whispers,  "Shhhhhhh.  Be still and know that I am God."  He's comfortable with my silence.

Why is it that when God is silent, we get worried and start trying to lean on our own understanding?  We start trying to solve problems with our limited human resources, and in doing so we end up robbing God of an opportunity to show Himself mightily.  If only we could be comfortable with His silence once in a while. 

Shhhhhh.  Listen for the sound of silence.

Be blessed.