God speaks silently
There have been times in my life when God has spoken silently, but meaningfully, into my life. More often than not those times have been what I call the ‘desert times’ – the times where things aren’t going smoothly – the times when I’m being stretched beyond what I think I can endure.
One of those times for me was when I experienced a relapse of Hepatitis A. After three months of suffering nausea and deep exhaustion I had supposedly recovered for a few days, only to descend into a worsening experience of the recent symptoms. Nausea never left me. It was like being trapped by the worst seasickness I could possibly imagine. My skin was the colour of a yellow buttercup. I was hospitalised. Visitors had to gown up if they dared to visit me. For weeks I was drip-fed. The only visitor who touched me was the hospital chaplain who shook my hand when he met me. It reminded me of Jesus and the lepers. I learned what it was like to be ‘untouchable’. Sleep was my only release and I longed to be well.
I remember the chaplain offered to bring me communion on ANZAC Day morning. I had really missed my regular communion over the previous months. The day dawned with a beautiful apricot sunrise witnessed through the haze of deep nausea. The chaplain arrived and moved through a shortened service of communion. Wondering whether I would be sick or not I partook of the wafer intinctured with one drop of communion wine.
And that was when God spoke silently to me! For ten glorious minutes the nausea left me.
To me it was like a promise. I dared to hope that this would end one day. I would get well.
It’s now forty six years later. I did recover. It took two years before I could get up in the morning knowing my plans for the day would not be interrupted with the need to rest. My liver blood test results eventually returned to normal and still are. I still believe God spoke silently to me that morning in a way that only I would understand.
So often it is in hindsight that we get a glimpse of a silent message. Could it be that God has spoken silently to you?
Ruth
To learn more about Ruth’s books or blog, or to make contact with her, visit ruthhammond.co.nz
