Silent Treatment

There have been times in my life when difficulties have piled up like dirty dishes on a tilting stack, and I would get this uneasy feeling that maybe I had lost favor with God, maybe I hadn't handled things right, I wasn't grateful enough, I didn't obey completely, and so God shrugged and moseyed on down the road to bless the next person.  I could see Him over there, blessing her with a good marriage, blessing him with a great career, blessing those kids with exceptional intelligence and talents. 


One of my favorite books to read to the kids is The Great Brain, a humorous novel of three brothers living in the 1930's, who get into all kinds of scrapes.  Their parents, as punishment for each new infraction, instigate the silent treatment for the deserving culprit.  They pretend the boy doesn't even exist for a time.  The boys hate it worse than a spanking. 


But that's how it feels sometimes.  Not only am I being punished with one dirty dish after another, but I'm also getting the silent treatment from God.  I want to say, "Just spank me and get this over with."


I read an interesting quote the other day:  "A teacher doesn't talk during a test."  He's present, he quietly nods his encouragement when you glance up, he's spent time training you for this, but he doesn't stand over your shoulder and point to the correct multiple choice answer.

And what did I get for all the worry?



Looking back, I see that these challenging seasons were very much like tests.  The answers to the questions were spiritually-loaded words like:  Trust, Persevere, Hope, Grace, Peace, Joy, Thankfulness.  But I didn't go into these examinations unprepared.  I just needed to breathe deeply, let the fog clear, and recall all the Master had poured into me.  When the frightened, frustrated  voices in my head calmed down, there it was, quiet and still, His voice breaking through.  The test is over.