Loud Silences

 

Original Photo by Cecilia Marie Pulliam

Have you ever experienced the thundering quiet after a loud noise has ceased? Or the silent stare that shouts?

Our Brittany, Cooper, is an expert in silent nagging. His stare, whether from across the room or right next to me, is loud enough to distract me from anything I’m doing. He’s not alone in that talent. I’ve seen other animals or people do the same.

How do you respond? With anger, with frustration, or curiosity? It varies for me, depending on the who, what, or when.

There is also another type of silent nagging, my conscience, also known as the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He has given me answers to problems, nudged me to do or say something I should, and showed me mistakes and errors. Again, the who, what, and when determines my response.

I’ve been working on simply saying, “Yes, Lord. Your will, not mine.” It’s not always easy. My desires don’t always align with His, at least not at first. After some prayer and reflection, I usually come around.

Scripture tells us to sit in silence in order to hear God’s voice. In our modern society, finding silence is a struggle. Even in a quiet house there are noises. Appliances kick on and off. A clock ticks or chimes. It may be windy or raining outside. Cars go by. Horns honk. Sirens squeal. People shout, or loud music filters in.

I am lucky. Our home and neighborhood are quiet. So much so that Cooper erupts in growls and barks at any odd noise. The worst is when he stares out the window in the middle of the night and growls. Makes my hair stand on end, to use a cliché. My imagination conjures up all kinds of horrible images of why he’s growling. After several minutes of scanning the yard with house lights and sometimes a flashlight, I rarely see anything. Since his hearing is extremely sensitive, I don’t doubt him. It could have been deer, coyotes, a cat, or a fox passing through the yard. It’s never been a humanoid trespasser, even though my mind immediately goes to that thought. Once it was a rattler coiled up against the door.

Perhaps God also uses the sudden cessation of noise and other distractions to get my attention, much like Cooper’s growls in the middle of the night, whispers of protection, compassion, instruction, and warning.

Thank you, Lord, for Your loud silences. Help me listen for you in the noise and buster of my days. Amen.