Sometimes
people are silent for a reason.
Perhaps, through an emotional crisis or physical pain or loss, the woman holds it in, tackling hurts
the way she knows best. Maybe the way her mother did. As her grandmother did before
her.
On the opposite
spectrum, some tell all. Are you ever surprised by the things people talk
about publicly? Husband-wife woes. Children's failings. Financial matters. Some share information I wish I hadn't heard or read. TMI? For instance, in a sermon, the preacher doesn't have to tell every
little thing about his wife and their relationship for me to get the picture.
The parent doesn't have to describe the blood gushing everywhere from her son's
injury (or post a picture of it) for me to understand. I have a vivid
imagination.
Have you ever
stood at the checkout counter at the grocery store and heard a deep conversation
going on where you felt sorry for the clerk having to hear that kind of stuff
all day? I have. Others rant about difficulties and personal issues on social media as
if everyone wants to know every minuscule part of their lives.
But in the
midst of a tell-all society, there are those who still remain silent. Taking life and
troubles in, thinking about it, or not, they keep the hurt or stress or confusion
to themselves. Maybe this is right, maybe it's wrong. Maybe it's the
way we were raised. Does it boil down to our differing personalities? The
quiet one versus the talkative one. The laugher vs the crier. The secret keeper
vs the chatterbox.
While some friends
and family members will tell everything, and perhaps even demand our attention
to listen, let's remember those who are silent. When someone seems to fall
off the grid, take note. There may very well be a reason for his or her
silence. They can't talk about it, or choose not to. But they may need a
hug or a kind word or an extra bit of understanding.
They say
still waters run deep, and I believe it. Just because someone is quiet, never underestimate the
struggle she might be going through. Encouraging words do have an effect. Love
can change everything. Even, or maybe especially, for the person facing
difficulties in silence.
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy
dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with
singing;"
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