When you are in the darkness keep your mouth shut.

/ Lisa R. Howeler

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Here is some advice I could have used before I rambled too much on my blog about this period of loneliness I’ve been in.

At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God’s hand until we learn to hear Him…Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet…When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light. — Oswald Chambers

My favorite line of this quote, which I first saw in the Jan Karon book I’m currently reading, is “Watch where God puts you into darkness and when you are there keep your mouth shut.”

Keep your mouth shut.

Ouch.

That one hurt because I know I haven’t done it.

I certainly plan to read this quote over a few hundred times and chew on it for a bit. It was very timely for me and interesting because I almost didn’t read from that book due to being too tired.

If you feel so moved, tell me what you think of this quote. Does it fit where you are now or where you once were? Let me know in the comments.

 

6 thoughts on “When you are in the darkness keep your mouth shut.”

  1. We do tend to open our mouths more than keep quiet. That’s a good quote. Although…I have been pondering lately…Some friends (not close friends, but fellow church members) have gone through big struggles. And those struggles erupted into family crises. I found out later, and I also discovered that they felt alone in their time of need. And I wished they would have said something. But, maybe it was my job to ask questions? Or is it the sufferer’s job to share their sorrow with trusted friends?

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    • Interesting thoughts. I think maybe the quote means not to complain constant about it, not necessarily to reach out for help to close friends. Maybe? I’ll have to read the entire section it is from and see if it elaborates. The stinky thing is, sometimes, even when you reach out you end up feeling alone. I have learned first hand that many simply don’t want to deal with those going through difficult times. For me I’ve had to rely almost entirely on God because during my darkest times my friends walked away. And the people I reached out to slapped me down my telling me I wasn’t being a very good Christian by being depressed. But I’ve had a few family members to lean on and I’m grateful for that at least. The bottom line is that, yes, I do think we should ask questions and not leave them in the dark, but I think Oswald Chambers is saying when we are there, don’t tell everyone Tom, Dick or Harry (or blog readers like I did) about it all … 😉

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  3. I love this quote! I’ve been there. I’ve been in the darkest dark and complained and whined as much as I could. Which of course made me feel worse. But….for a week I laid in bed in total darkness all alone and talked to nobody but God. He must have heard me because after that week I got up and moved on. The darkness lifted and I’ve been “okay” since. Not perfect, but not that far down in the pit, either. I’m saving this quote so I’ll remember to keep my mouth shut if I get there again. 😀

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    • I’ve never spent an entire week in a room, but close..I was in a prison in my mind for a very long time one time and I was very, very alone. I’m back to being pretty much alone but with some family this time, instead of friends. And I’m anxious for what God is showing me through all this.

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