Silence is Golden

There are those rare moments when the Bewley home is invaded with all the grandchildren, seven to be exact.  This seems to happen after they have had days of stored up nervous energy that must be released. I’m not sure if their parents plan it that way or we just get lucky every time we keep them. It’s not unusual to hear little feet running throughout the house amidst hair curling screams, laughter, momentary crying, and occasionally a fight or two.  The energy they expend is comparable to a dozen Energizer Bunnies. Needless to say Phyllis and I love it all but relish the moment when nighttime comes. With bathes given, teeth brushed, and pajamas on their little batteries finally run down.  We tuck them in bed, and suddenly start to relax to the most beautiful sound—silence. While we would not take anything for the noise of their presence, yet we appreciate the often repeated slogan--silence is golden. The reason being, the quiet time is what prepares us for all the activity we will experience the next day. The same is true of our spiritual lives.  The silence is what makes the noise productive.  It is no wonder our Father said, “Be still and know that I am God.” However, this is an exercise most fall short of. Matt Redmond in his book “Facedown” says, “There’s a time for every kind of sound when we worship….yet there is also a time when the most appropriate response is simply to be still—and in that stillness know that He is God.” A.W. Tozer commented “that in some instances absolute silence might well become our greatest act of worship.” Most often when we visit God we tend to focus on the noise more than the silence.  By doing so we overlook much of what He attempts to say to us and do for us.  Getting back to those grandbabies, when the noise ceases and they are laying in their beds still and composed, I take advantage of the moment. It is during this stillness that I begin to cover their little faces with kisses and with words of unconditional love.  It’s in that small caption of time that I tell them I will always be there and will never forsake them. Although, I may have said it a dozen times during the day, the noise keeps them from hearing it.  Now with eyes and hearts connected, the message begins to resonate and they fall asleep knowing that all will okay when they awake because they are loved beyond their greatest expectation. How much more does God communicate the same to us? When we worship in the stillness the noise will not overtake us. That’s why Silence truly is Golden.