Scaife Family Values: Silence

si·lence/ˈsīləns/

Noun:	Complete absence of sound.
Verb:	Cause to become silent; prohibit or prevent from speaking.
Synonyms:	noun.  hush - quiet - still - quietness - calm - stillness verb.  hush - shush - shut up

   Have you ever sat in the silence? When the power is out; when no 'white noise' can be found in the background? True silence. It is rare to truly find silence in this world of technology and travel; but it is a treasure we value when we can find it. 

   In my home silence is found at the table; students deep in study..my husband resting from his overnight shift...my hands busy with needle and thread. No television, no phone, no idle chatter...silence. It is found in the barn; contented animals softly munching as they bask in the noonday sun..the gentle brush of the rake as stalls are mucked...the hammer of the woodpecker in the tall pine overhead. It is found in the garden...

   Quiet sprouts shoot forth from soil as a hawk calls in the distance. Water gently falls over tender green leaves to nourish the roots beneath. Hens lightly scratch just beyond the fence; their occasional cluck makes me smile. This silence lends to listening; to hearing the life and growth all around; to hear God's hand at work in the little things that surround me. 

   Without silence there cannot be rest- true rest. Even an afternoon of pulling weeds can be restful if our minds are allowed silence...the gentle quiet of life. Our bodies need silence to restore and refresh; a break from the demands of noise. Our relationships need silence; that ability to be together without the strain of conversation or entertainment. Our souls need silence...time to be with our Lord...to sense Him in the quiet stillness. 

   Our family values silence....the gentleness of being; the peacefulness of existing; the rest brought forth...by ...silence.