Great Silence

I love this pin!

Some people detest silence.  Admittedly, there are times when the silence has been so loud, my ears have trembled with the ringing and the buzzing within them.  This is not a 'great' feeling.  There was a time when I couldn't cope with any silence whatsoever.  Science of buzzing aside, the silence seemed to be a transporter to the past.  Almost as soon as the silence fell, I would find myself suddenly in a different time and place.  I was lost in my memories - unhappy memories.  I would sink deeper into the shaft of my past.  I would see faces, hear the words that had already pierced my ego and - worst of all - I would feel the grief all over again.  The tears would prickle my eyes, the words would echo in my ears and my chest, my stomach sank and my heart ached all over again.  There is no wonder that I feared the silence. 

Now - the world is different.  Silence is my friend.  I crave it;  Not for the purpose of wallowing in the mud of my melancholy memories; but for the simplicity it brings.  Now, the silence reminds me to just be.  In the silence, I breathe, I wait, I think about where I am and what I am doing in the moment.  I close my eyes and embrace the curtain that hides the world from view.  I let the sun shine on my face and the wind brush past me.  The silence reminds me to relax.  In the silence I hear the whispering - "Be still and Know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) - I know that all is well.  If only for a moment - I know peace.  Then, I usually fall asleep.

So, embrace the silence.  Don't use it to say a prayer or sink into darkness.  When there is a Great Silence - breathe - be still - and yes, be silent.