The Silent Times

I am a person that likes my days alone. I like the quiet. I enjoy being by myself. That's not an affront to anyone, it's just a fact. I like to putter around and do whatever strikes my fancy. For instance, today, I have homework for a class I have to go to tomorrow. So, I have begun on that, but then, with the weather changing again and all, I was cold and decided that a nice, hot bath was in order. It was lovely. Back to the work. Trying to fix my printer/computer connection. Getting out food for dinner. Wondering if laundry is a must for today. Desiring a book and a nap. Thinking that a burger and fries would hit the spot for lunch.
I like time alone. I don't like isolation. Don't like the silent treatment. I like quiet times with people I love. Being in a room and all reading books. I'm good with that. Our car is often very quiet......comfortably so. Peacefully so.
But I wonder sometimes. I wonder if I didn't reach out at times if anyone would actually be around. People get the idea that I'm the extrovert. That it's easy for me to do the calling, writing, communicating, planning.......but it's not. I do it out of love for my family. I do it to stay connected, but really, just doing my own thing is as easy for me as the next person. It's hard to put yourself on the line and get out there and make relationships.
Sometimes there are silent times in relationships. I don't know why. I have wondered. I don't mean times when you are being punished or something. Just times of silence.
Maybe it's like the "silent years" in the Bible. You know, the 400 years between the testaments when nothing was written. Where we have no Biblical record. Things were still happening. Life was still going on. God was still loving. But it was silent.
Maybe what needed to be said had already had been said. It was time to wait and hope and see. Relationships are like that too. With our kids. Especially our teens. With our spouses. With our friends. Sometimes there's silence. And we don't even know why. If we are a wee bit dense, we might not even notice it. But it's worth noticing.
I have to admit, I do better when someone says, " I need some time," than with when they just kind of disappear and ignore me. But it doesn't really matter. Silent times are for growing. For seeing who we will become. For focusing on what we already have heard and already know.
Today is a quiet day. It didn't go as I planned, but it is going well. It is a beautiful, full of potential day. A day to reflect in the silence of things how I can love more deeply, serve more completely and perhaps even.......find a job.;)
blessings,
rhonda