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When Silence is the Answer



              I suppose I could have prayed more.  I know of individuals who fasted for months and prayed for the bill I was working on.  I saw on social media that hundreds of thousands were praying for the same request.  We witnessed a true miracle.  We prayed and worked together and moved the bill along a little further than two years prior.  It appeared that God had set it up to that we had a small window to move it forward and time ran out.  Disappointment, heartbroken, suspicious thoughts were expressed. 
              Now there is silence.  What does this mean?  How do we see God in the silence?  What is the meaning of it all?  Silence does not mean that God has not heard our prayers and been moved by them.  God definitely responded to bring a group of people together for a common purpose to explain how a law could benefit our state and correct the problem of mass incarceration for which we are becoming famous.  There was no doubt that the Holy Spirit was empowering otherwise non public speakers to speak clearly and passionately, even exposing their personal triumphs over being victims of sexual crimes in the process.  It was raw, personal, factual testimony.  It worked.  We knew we had the votes to move forward, but time was not on our side.  Did God not understand that we wanted this bill to be voted into law in this session? 
              My specific prayer went like this, pass the committee, pass the calendar committee, voted on positively in the House, pass the calendar committee, voted on positively in the Senate, not vetoed by the Governor.  It can’t be that I was not specific enough.  I’m sure others were praying that way too and even if they weren’t God knows that we don’t know how to pray as we ought and He empowers the Holy Spirit to reinterpret our prayers and help us in prayer (Romans 8:26--In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.)
              God’s silence is the answer we received for our prayers.  God’s silence was not a “No.”  The fact that we made progress by gaining the positive votes shows that.  God’s silence was an invitation to trust Him more, to grow in our collective faith.  We have two years to pray and work and grow in faith.
              In the remake of Mary Poppins, Bert explains to the children “Mary Poppins does not explain herself.”  It’s similar here.  It’s not that God does not explain Himself; it is that He is so infinite that we cannot understand the intricacies.  He explains that everything He does is out of His love and justice.  We can understand that. 
              In the silence I see God’s goodness.  I sense Him calling out deeper faith.  I sense Him drawing me to recognize the victory that has been gained.  I will trust the love of God.  Romans 8:37-39.  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.              I embrace the silence as victory.  I will continue walking in the path toward the kind of victory that will be experienced by roaring cheers. Yet I will not ignore the silent victory that draws out faith, trust and deeper belief in the love of God.
              Silence speaks.  Silence is an answer.  Silence does not indicate that God is not interested in my prayers. Silence is an invitation to grow in faith and love of God.
Copyright © 2019.  Deborah R. Newman  www.teatimeforyoursoul.com   All Rights Reserved.  

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