. . . Silence . . .

Well friends Compassion's blog month has come again.  (Technically it started last week but the week got away from me before I could post anything.)  Anyway this week we were asked to write about one word.  I chose one that has meant a lot in my life and personality: Silence.

Silence is quiet.

Now the above statement may sound like common sense, but there is more to it than you may realize at first glance.  As many of you know, I am rather introverted by nature (some might say shy).  I spend more time listening than I do talking, and I genuinely enjoy spending quiet time alone.

Silence's quietude can bring great peace and comfort in times of trial.  It can lead us closer to God, if we're willing to allow it to.

 Jael is 4.  She lives in Burkino Faso.  You can help her grow up knowing the comfort of silence in God's presence.

Silence is Loud

This may be somewhat more difficult to imagine.  Silence in and of itself more closely resembles my first description.  However, when left alone in silence, our thoughts will soon begin to scream at us.

These thoughts may be easily dismissed when we are otherwise occupied, but when we are silent, they hold our attention and whisper lies into our ears.  As the silence permeates deeper, so too do the inaccuracies grow louder and stronger.  As we hear them repeated over and over again, we begin to believe them as truth.

Silence thrives on yelling lies: You're not good enough.  You'll never amount to anything.  You are nothing.

Kevin is 15.  He lives in Nicaragua.  Through sponsorship you can help disperse the lies that silence is telling him during adolescence.

Silence is crushing.

In addition to the attributes above, silence can act as a muting force.  It constrains ideas and chokes back words that need to be said as much as they need to be heard.

After years of silent observation, I became uncomfortable expressing myself.  And, since no one expected me to break the silence, I was able to continue to live in pseudo comfort within it.  Silence kept me from experiencing life, especially social aspects of the world around me.  Silence attempted to smother me.

 Vishakha is 9 years old.  She lives in India.  She shares my birthday.  Help her to escape the crushing silence that I struggled with.

In the developing world the effects of silence can be even more pronounced.  As much as silence may bring comfort, it also lies and strangles futures.  For kids living in poverty, these lies become truth easily without a strong voice to contradict the effects of silence.  Compassion acts as that voice of truth to over a million children in developing countries every day.

Sponsoring a Child can help break the silence in the next generation.