The Gift of Silence. . .

On Golden Pond - Arrangement by Andrew Lapp
(Please click for background music as you read this message of H.I.M.)

Since moving out of the city and by the lake, my husband and I have had some wonderful evenings in the countryside listening to nothing but “silence”! There are no sirens, no screeching of wheels or horns, no screaming by children while playing, or birds chattering away; not an utterance, just silence.     

To me, this is one of the most beautiful gifts of life, while gazing into the dark sky observing the night’s lights of dazzling stars above the farmer’s cleared corn field and the calmness of the lake; how peaceful and majestic. Llewelyn Powys once said, “No sight is more provocative of awe than is the night sky.”

The “gift of silence” truly brings one’s soul to peace, while dwelling on one’s thoughts of what may or may not have come my way. It brings to mind the bible verse, “Whatever state I may find myself in, therein to be content” (Philippians 4:11). It reminds me how precious and delicate life is and the importance of not taking life for granted or those who are in your life.   

A lesson I was, recently, reminded of is what is most important in our lives versus what is not.  What is most important are those we hold very near and dear to our hearts, while what is not are those who may choose to hurt us with their unkind and insensitive words when they don’t even know us. Thoughtless, uncaring remarks may for a moment bruise the heart, but as long as one stays focused to what they know in their hearts to be true and to stay strong with dignity and grace, unkind remarks will never break one’s heart! 

The greatest teacher to ever display this truth is God’s Son, Jesus, who was often verbally abused and accused; yet, He did not retaliate or say a word – He chose, at times, to be silent. This, however, was not out of weakness, but the character of His strength, dignity and God’s authority.  No doubt, there are times when we must speak up and speak out, but one must know the difference between when to and when not to. At times, there will be occasions when we need to take a stand and change a situation, while other times we will need the dignity and grace to understand not all situations can be changed and, therefore, we will need to pray for strength to receive God’s wisdom to see the difference.  I am comforted when reading, “…he who holds his tongue is wise” (Proverbs 10:10).  As a child, you may recall, “Sticks and stones will broke my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well guess what? They will if we let them. Only we can make the choice to let them go.  How grateful I am to God, once again, that He has taught me to know the difference and to show me the importance of the “gift of silence” and that it truly is "golden." 

"Stop thinking about all the things
people said to hurt your feelings. . .
Just hold on tightly t0 the
memories of all the times
someone made you smile."