The Maturity of Silence

Some of us have a lot to say. It's not that we have hoards of advice to give, it's that we think so much that we feel the need to think out loud. It drives my husband nuts. At first, he thought that everything I said was a conclusion of a well thought out idea. Not so. In fact, my rambling is usually the process of working through an idea, exploring all sides and leaving opportunity for his input. Eventually, I come to a conclusion or opinion, all the while sending listeners to the moon and back with a migraine. People like my husband, do much thinking, but not aloud. They carefully and privately work through ideas, as we (the ramblers) ask them for the third time, where the car keys are or what they think of our new shoes. They sometimes appear slow and stupid, but really, they are preventing the inevitable label of being impetuous that I often earn. I have learned to count to five after asking Guy a question to give him time to finish his important thought before responding to me. I appreciate it now. Loading...loading...

Learning the art of silence is very difficult. It's often out there before I think to reel it in. It is something I am working toward and want very much to master. There is a time and place for ramblers to indulge in a word marathon and I believe it is best to save it as a response to a direct question...not after someone makes a statement and I assume they want to know my opinion on the matter. Even still, I try to give short responses to questions and only expand on the matter if I am invited to by a second question. Then, I am pretty sure they are not forming their shopping list while I am talking...sounding like the adults in the Peanuts cartoons.

Some of the most admired people I can think of are the quieter ones...like my Mom, my husband, my dog and Mr. Bean. 

I have been learning a lot lately from Dr. Paul Tripp on the topic of words. Silence allows me to let go of the need to control a conversation, trust God with the outcome and save my words for the benefit of someone else. It also makes you look really mature...whether you are or not. I thought I would share a clip on the topic:

Now blogging, on the other hand, doesn't count because all anyone can hear is my clicking of the keys and Il Divo singing in the background. Plus, the beloved delete button has saved a reputation many a time.

That's all I have to say about the matter...thanks for asking :)