Go Quiet

We can all shout the odds when things go wrong, and complain almost at will. We love to hear the sound of our own voices at times, but what makes you go quiet? My mum in law, was quite a lady and she liked to be in charge, so we heard her voice an opinion on almost anything and everything. She suffered from bad health in later life, and talked about her troubles often, but then we all seemed to notice something strange. While she was talking, even complaining, we didn’t have to worry about her. She was doing fine. But when she went quiet? Well, then we knew she was worried, and so we would worry too. Her silence shouted louder than any of her talking. Recognise yourself in this example?

Back to the question. “What makes you go quiet”? When everything is stripped back, and you run out of options and complaints, where do you go? What do you think and feel? If you are like most people, you will go quiet. Usually, when you finally realise that things have gotten out of your control, and you realise you don’t have any influence on a particular situation after all. In my example, it was health. There are other issues which could make us go quiet, things like, poor finances, family difficulty, a confidence given, big decisions which will affect the rest of your life, a crisis of faith. Yes, even a crisis of faith. There may be others that you are dealing with, and have made you go quiet.

What did Jesus say about our problems? I went back to His words in John 14 v1-3 as He comforted His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”.

I was struck with two things which Jesus said, and maybe what He didn’t say. He pointed to our belief in God, and then He went straight to a place after our problems, to a statement of eternal safety and security. I love the description of the Father’s house. There is room for all who trust, and a place where our troubles fade into insignificance. Even when we go quiet, and carry some burden alone. I notice that Jesus didn’t give us any solutions on this side of Heaven. That may also be due to the fact that many people will carry something that makes them go quiet, to the grave, where they will be safe, forgiven and forgotten. For reasons I don’t know or understand, it seems we are only encouraged to trust in God, and look ahead! That’s a real act of faith.