A Quiet Friend

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! _{(Psalm 141:3 ESV)}

“Weeping people need a quiet friend, a person who will simply stand by and listen.” –Richard B. Wilke

I am too loud. It’s true. Although I have a very soft voice, the fact is it’s more than just the level of my tone. It’s the wordiness- the need to jump in, to tell my story or to want to help and offer advice. In that, I am being too loud, too hasty- not leaving the needed and sacred space for God to work. So when I read, “weeping people need a quiet friend,” I think about how that goes against my nature. In my head, I think that if I don’t speak or offer something in the way of advice or comfort, then I’m giving off the impression of disregard or unconcern. The truth is, however, that by extending my presence and my quietness, I am offering something much greater. I’m validating a moment, acknowledging emotions, whispering, “You feel this way, and you are entitled to feel this way.” There is no guilt, no shame, no pressure to change something that’s genuine and raw. The transforming, the resolution, that’s all in God’s hands. He is a compassionate God who is very much in control. What He is asking of me is to be someone who comes along side of friends wherever they may be. Quiet. Still. Listening.

Lord, let me be more quiet- offering space for the truth of emotions, giving permission for authentic expression, and loving others and myself wherever we may be on this journey of life. Let me trust my friends to You- knowing You love them more than I am capable of. You are a caring God who listens and heals.