SILENCE - A GOLDEN RESPONSE!

When I'm hurt, I'm a clam. It's not intentional. It's just where I go when things aren't quite kosher with me. The silence is not stemmed from the simple, "I've had a bad day at work" fare. It goes deeper with me. I draw silent when I lose my way or my nerve or even my temper. I hear this recording in my head that says, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." (WAIT! You have that recording as well? Wow, go figure).


For most of us, we learned to respond (or react) to whatever throws us off our game. And we can run the risk of saying or doing something that we'll regret. My pastor once gave a demonstration of how our words, for example, can be our undoing if we're not careful. Ever try getting toothpaste back into an already-squeezed tube? It's close to impossible and if you're daring enough to try it, you'll find that not all of it gets back in the tube without a mess. That's why I stop before I speak. When I grow silent, that's usually my cue to also grow deeper into the presence of God. It's there I desperately seek Him out for answers to my painful wounds. Silence, for some, may not be golden, but it can prove a precious commodity if spent well.

How about you? What do you do with the pain of the moment? Do you retaliate with scathing words or do you retreat into God for answers? God's remedy for silence is to be still and know who He is. He is a refuge and strength in times of trouble. He is a comfort to the weary. He is a healer to the infirmed. And He is peace that goes beyond comprehension.

Silence may be a foreign concept, but God knows how to interpret its language and His responses to us are golden!