Silence

In many homes there is rarely silence. The Television is on in several rooms, perhaps a radio is playing too. Cars are zooming by outside. Buzzers go off for our many appliances and phones ring and the list of noise makers goes on and on.
When I am the only one home, silence seems to sneak in. When the children started to go off in their adult directions of work and marriage, I found it difficult to cope with the silence. I would hurry to turn on some music. I was uncomfortable with the silence. For so many years I heard the children's voices all day long. We homeschooled for 17 years so there was no time without the children around. I loved that but at that time I would wonder what quiet would be like and dreamed of it at times. Four children can make a lot of noise, even well behaved children.
I find that slowly I am embracing this silent time of my day. It grows more comfortable. The ticking of the clock on the piano is often all I hear besides my steps on the bare wooden floors as I pass from room to room doing my work. The dog may bark occasionally or in the afternoon when the chickens are out of their house, I hear them clucking and the rooster crowing, but for the most part it is quiet. This is now the time I pray for my children and for those I know with needs. Today as I watched the sun come through the windows of the living room and light up the dark wooden floors, it seemed so perfect a match to the silence of the day. Its hard to describe but it gave me a feeling of all is well. A true feeling of contentment. I am not sure I would have been able to experience this moment in time had the house been filled with noise. It may not have felt special. Sometimes now I even drive the car with no radio on. Just alone and comfortable with my thoughts. In the olden days before we were so machine oriented, life was quite and silence was common. Again, I feel as though I am stepping back in time and it feels right to me.
In this silence, I may just be praying for you.