Listening to Silence

There was a moment of what seemed like absolute silence when we were sitting at lunch the other day. Three adults and a three-year-old were present.

The three-year-old went, “O, what was that?” One adult heard someone outside working in the yard. Another heard a train whistle. I heard the “whir” of the ceiling fan in the kitchen. It made us chuckle to realize that sitting in the same room as we were hearing nothing, when we really listened we all heard something but not the same thing. There was a lot of noise but our own noises had kept us from hearing them.

Often in these little events God reveals some nugget of truth to us. If we aren’t paying attention – listening for it – we may miss it. My almost immediate thought was, “what else haven’t I heard lately?”

The Lord started knocking at my heart’s door over twenty-five years ago but I have only been a Christian for about fifteen. There were several Christians in my workplace, He had put one in my childbirth class who lived only three blocks from me (our daughters are only days apart), and in 1989 He allowed a car to run over my left foot leaving a sizable hole that had to heal for weeks. I could not walk or lift for about six weeks. My children went into daycare, my husband ran the household, and the church I was going to cooked for us every week night for those six weeks!

I have often looked at this time as a time when I had been ignoring all the signals God was sending. It took a car running over me as a pedestrian to get me to sit down, be quiet and listen to Him. My kids were small, I was working, and doing “my” good works (not those God had planned for me, Ephesians 2:10) so that there was rarely a silent moment in my life.

What seems most interesting to me about this is that I was completely unaware of God’s presence at this point in my life. I believed He existed – but not here, not with me, and not in way that I could hear Him if I listened. I had been in church my whole life. How was it that I was so ignorant of His person and His character?

In Psalm 62 David knew that his salvation would come only from God. He said, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” In hope he would be silent and listen for God’s voice, to feel His presence, and look for the way He would provide to escape the trouble he was in. Of course, I didn’t think I was in trouble – but I was – spiritual trouble.

In God’s grace through a speeding car on a quiet street He gave me a reason to get off my merry go round and sit with Him. My Christian friends brought me Christian books to read and my curiosity was aroused. God provided for us in every way. My husband who loves to work and had always worked long hours was home every night for six weeks by 5:00 PM. (It hasn’t happened since then!). Someone came and cleaned, someone else came every day with her kindergartner and washed our breakfast dishes, my in-laws did our laundry. It was amazing and all the while God was speaking. He was showing me what it means when He says He will provide and bring comfort.

Much to my shame I didn’t want it. Much to His glory he didn’t let me go! I had a taste of hearing from Him, I had had the joy of His attention. I now knew when He was communicating to me. He showed me His presence and answered prayers so consistently that I could not deny nor ignore His voice any longer.

There are times when we have to speak up and speak out. There are times when we are required to stand firm for the Lord and that may require a willingness to say what needs to be said. Esther knew that she had to speak up for her people. But, Ecclesiastes 3:7 also tells us there are times we are to be silent.

What I have learned from our faithful Father who longs to have this time to speak to His children is that if we don’t provide our own times of silence, He will. We may not like the method He uses to get us to sit down, be quiet, and listen. What I hadn’t realized in those early days was how patient and persistent He would be to get my attention.

So, my advice to anyone who hasn’t heard from the Lord God Almighty in a while or maybe never has is to be quiet, sit in stillness and ask Him to speak to you and maybe even for you if necessary. I pray for all of His children not to have to ask, “O, what was that?” when we hear His voice.

Exodus 14:14, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”