This song came to me as a result of a great sermon by my pastor, Scott McKay, at Willow Drive Baptist Church in Lake Jackson. He had preached to us about the importance of taking time to be quiet before God, and to just listen for His voice. We had an entire sermon on "Silence". No music, no talking, just a few slides of scripture. Let me tell you, you could have heard a pin drop in that Sanctuary! But, you could also feel the presence of the Holy Spirit! It was a very powerful message. So, I decided to try having my own personal "Quiet Time with God" the next day. I took the kids to school, and then took my dog (a very energetic yellow lab) to the beach. It was a beautiful day, and that early in the morning, there was nobody there except me, my dog, and a flock of seagulls. So, I let 'Buddy', my lab, off the leash, and I waded into the surf looking for shells. I said, "Ok Lord, I'm going to be quiet and listen for your voice". And I waited. And waited. But you know what I heard? Buddy was barking, the seagulls were squawking, the surf was pounding, the wind was howling, and off in the distance, a thunderstorm was brewing, so thunderclaps were intermingled with everything else. It was anything BUT quiet! So I said, "This just isn't working for me here Lord!", and at that instant, He gave me a song. Now, when God gives me a song, I normally get the whole thing...lyrics, melody, instrumentation....all at once. And this was no exception. But there I was, knee-deep in the surf with a loose dog (who was several hundred feet away chasing the gulls) and no pencil or paper in site! I just knew I wasn't going to be able to remember all of the words and the melody! So I started singing it over and over as I frantically shoved my dog, soaking wet, into the car and started for home. I had turned my radio off, but I just knew I would pull up next to somebody and hear there radio, and I would loose the melody. It's about a 15 minute drive from the beach to my house, and I think my dog thought I had gone crazy because I just kept singing and singing the song over and over to keep it in my head. Thank you Lord, that I was able to make it home (safely!) and write the song down on paper before I lost it or changed it in any way. But I was surprised to find out that the song didn't have anything to do with me being "Silent before the Lord". Instead, the song is about those times when God is silent. We all have those times when we cry out to the Lord for an answer to something we just don't understand. Perhaps we are going thru a difficult situation...a divorce, losing someone you love, a disease, or just anything that would make you long to hear His voice. There are those times when you just need to know that your Daddy God is there watching over you, and you just beg Him to talk to you, comfort you, change the situation, change you, or just take control. And all you get is........SILENCE. What's going on then? Why doesn't He answer us? Is He really there? Is He really hearing us? Does He really care? I know we have all had those questions at some point in our lives. I've been thru divorce, I've had miscarriages, I've had cancer, I've lost a parent....and each time I would turn to my Father in Heaven for comfort. Sometimes He would respond with love and comfort, but at other times He would seem as distant as the horizon, and I would feel so alone. But I always knew He was there, never leaving me. This song, "In Your Silence" tells about WHY He doesn't always answer us. He has our best interests at heart, and sometimes He has to restrain Himself from helping us so we can grow and learn on our own. Those of you who are parents know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes you have to let your children experience hurt for themselves so they will learn a lesson....no matter how hard it is for you to watch, and how much your arms ache to hold them. I have no doubt that Our Father hurts just as much watching us go through life's lessons. And that if He could, He would scoop us up in His arms and hug all the hurt and pain away. But, He is an awesome parent, and He lets us learn so we can grow strong. Listen to His voice in the words of this song.....and never doubt that He is always there by your side. He will never take you to it, if He knows you can't go thru it. -Debbie
