Vacant Places

Cleared out like empty rooms standing blank in a vacant house, the bare walls of my thoughts echoed in quiet. My last post of four days ago, "Decreasing in the Silence" became ever stronger because then HE was. Silent. Unbeknownst to me the silence would transcend from audible outside sounds into ones not even spoken, those inaudible ones formed first in the soul. No writing formed & no words surfaced here. Nothing.

In these four days, my keyboard only tapped for comments on other thoughts pasted on other pages, those virtual friends I've found along the way. Even those began to wane, my fingers finding fewer places under theirs.

This soul, which HE grafted to create the things HE shows me, normally clamors with words. They stack themselves, crowd in, tumble inside and cry for release. I seek their relief by placing them here as He directs, or so I pray. But only silence had greeted me. Words left. My soul echoed, emptied, barren of written expressions of Him in my life.

In this time, I considered Ezekiel. God caused him to be mute, a tongue clinging to the roof of his mouth. A prophet who speaks the very words of God, now shut up in silence. I think of Jeremiah when he said: "'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back..." Jer. 20:9. I understand this fire shut up in my soul, but now NO fire blazes. No words found. No weary bones holding back, because the room of my heart laid empty.

Yesterday, I meditated on scriptures of quiet. He was in the midst of the quiet spells. The bare spaces, where His truth is heard in echoes. In this pause of wordless thoughts, He rejoices over me with gladness and singing. With His love His quiets my noisy soul. So it was last night, I tried but failed to write this place HE placed me. A blank slate of my heart.

Yesterday, a blinking cursor stared at me where only His scriptures of quiet where pasted. A blog page saved as "draft", for He was still drafting me in silence.

Then it happened. Taking up corners and spaces of thought, the rooms began to fill. The thoughts thawing after days of frozen quiet. Words came and needed release. Today they came in confirmation. Among a group of dear lady friends in Christ, each one was given a card with their names written on it. The meaning of each name inside the folds of paper. Mine read: "Tammy, Origin: Hebrew, Meaning: Palm Tree, Spiritual: Victorious Spirit. Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17" Written on my card, Zep. 3:17, the VERY scripture which waited my return in "draft".

So back I came, to finish what HE started. Learning in it: Silence is OK. It's a lesson that's stretched me. Not just in four days but over the last few years. When all is shushed, quiet settles and speaks in waves. Cleared of clutter and clamor, He echoes His Presence in the vacancy of words. HE fills those hollow places, where He rejoices with gladness over us. A place quieted by HIS love. An opportunity we might miss because our flesh fumbles in the awkwardness of silence. When the 'tongue' clings, HE secures us in dwelling places of HIS quiet habitation. It requires deliberate rest & reflection. Then He comes once again. Filling our soul with burning words that blaze their trail in our hearts and to our fingers, the tapping heard again from the pause of silence. Rather vacant or blazing, His word always speaks, even if we do not.


The confirming scripture:

"17 The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

A belated unwrapping of silence. For more unwrappings click here.


"17 The work of righteousness will be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.." Isaiah 32:17&18


" 10 I will save you from afar,
And your seed from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,
And no one shall make him afraid." Jeremiah 30:10


Ps. Thanks Jamie for your faithfulness and blessing for sharing our names with each of us.