What would happen at your house if you couldn’t talk for one day?
I actually know the answer to this hypothetical question because I have been on total voice rest since October 23 because of laryngitis!
James texted our friend:
Arlene has taken a vow of silence. The house has never been so quiet.
Here’s her response and my reply in the green:
There have been a few upsides to losing my voice:
Forced rest. I didn’t have an option. I had to cancel speaking engagements, take naps, and be still. I must admit after having a hectic pace this year, it was a welcome experience to lay on the couch and read. We’re pretty good as a society at the run, we need more help with the rest.
Simplifying life and speech. When you have to type out everything you want to say, you figure out how to say less! What words could you edit out of your day? Maybe if we said 30 percent less, the 70 percent we did say would have more effect.
My messages were usually things like “take a shower,” “how did you do on math test” and “please set table.” But I was intentional to type out a prayer for my children like “May Ethan keep His eyes on You today Lord” when the kids went to school. Since I couldn’t do it with my lips, I did it with my laptop.
Trust, contentment and patience. When your body doesn’t cooperate (or any other circumstance coming against you), you must place your trust in God. Practice contentment by being thankful for what you do have. When I was out and about, some people thought I was deaf since I was writing down my comments to my family. How thankful I am to be able to hear!
James 1:2-3 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
I believe my laryngitis is not in vain. I can learn to be more patient, to endure, to persevere – even though my husband has no idea how to interpret my charades!
You probably can talk…but is there something else lacking right now in your life? Maybe it’s time for some rest, simplification, and trust. Be patient and “let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).
