Silence. I know some people love it. Others detest it. I know there are some people who are not happy

unless there's all sorts of noise and sounds and they can't stand silence. And then there are other who are the exact opposite.

They just long for solitude and silence.

There are some who talk nonstop,

and there are others who hardly say a word.

I understand that.

This issue of silence is probably not more problematic

than you find it in a marriage relationship

between husband and wife. You find that while one spouse is one way, the other spouse is the

opposite. One likes to talk, one doesn't, and on and on and on. It's like the wife who said to her husband,

he said, why don't you talk to me while I'm netting? He said, now it's better for you to net for me

while I read. I really think that we all sympathize with the frustration that can come from those who exercise undue silence.

No, elbows flying. In fact, I read about this lady who out of exasperation went to see a

psychiatrist. She thought she really needs his help. And so she would go session after session after session, and she would sit there and she'd talk and talk and talk.

And all that the psychiatrist was giving her is silence.

After a while, she got so exasperated, and she got up and she said, you know, I don't know why I'm spending a fortune on coming for counseling.

I would go home, save the money, and be with my husband, because he gives me just the same

treatment.

Proverbs said that silence is golden.

But perhaps I need to hasten to say, not always. Whenever we are given the silence treatment,

and we feel, notice the word feel, doesn't mean necessarily true, but we feel isolated and we feel

confused. And that's understandable in a marriage relationship.

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