particularly, when something really big
mattered to me. The sad truth is, I’m
often making too much racket to hear
Him. He won’t try to shout over all the
noise in our lives to get our attention.
He speaks most clearly in the stillness
desperation brings. I’ve also come to
see the purpose and beauty in God’s
silence. It’s like He’s telling me He
knows my heart’s desires and what I’m
thinking. He knows what He’s taught
me. He’s seen when I’ve succeeded
and when I’ve failed. From His point of
view, that all rolls up into an unspoken
whisper from Him I can almost hear
saying, “You’ve got this.” His biggest
priority isn’t removing failure as an
option but reminding me He loves me
as I try. There’s a verse in the Bible
that says, “Do not despise these small
beginnings.” I love that. It’s a reminder
to me God doesn’t just value the big
endeavors that work and He isn’t afraid
we’ll fail; instead, He delights in our
attempts.
God knows we won’t do everything
picture-perfect either. If we’re being
honest, our mess-ups outnumber our
successes, probably by a wide margin.
More than once, I’ve been a little too
close to the rocks and a little out of
66 • Solutions
position. I’ve come in a little hot, gone
a little long, or fallen a little short in
the things I’ve attempted. But God
hasn’t been shouting instructions to
me as I’ve made mistakes because
He doesn’t need to. His silence isn’t
indifference; it’s engagement. He isn’t
quiet because He’s run out of things
to say or is scared about the outcome.
It’s because He already believes in me,
just as much as He knows the outcome.
He already believes in you too. He’s so
confident we already know what to do
next that He’s willing to be silent even
when we ask for His voice. He doesn’t
care as much as we do whether we
perform perfectly or not. He just wants
us to be His while we do it.
Most of us don’t need more
instructions; we simply need someone
who believes in us. If we’re fortunate,
God will surround us with friends who
know us so well they’ve stopped trying
to control our conduct with endless
instructions and instead trust that
God is at work in our lives, even if He’s
doing things we don’t yet understand.
It’s perfectly normal and okay to feel
afraid and confused and stationary.
It happens to all of us at one time or
another. We shouldn’t be surprised when