The Choice to Be Silent
I’m still shocked that even at forty-three, silence is something I continue to battle. It reminds me that healing isn’t always about what you’ve overcome, it’s about what you’re still learning to confront.
It’s easier to choose silence over arguing. Easier to stay quiet than to debate. Silence feels like safety when you’re tired of defending yourself. It feels like peace when you’re afraid to stir up conflict.
But if you stay silent too long, it becomes a weight around your neck.
I know that weight. When I finally try to speak, I stumble over my words. What’s clear in my head comes out tangled in my mouth.
Have you ever tried to speak after being silent for too long, only to have your own voice startle you?
As I wrote in my book:
“You are not responsible for keeping someone’s dream alive by killing your own voice.”
I’ve never been outspoken, yet my personality is outspoken. I’m a walking contradiction. Something doesn’t seem right, and deep down, I know it’s because of what I chose back when I was sixteen, the moment I decided to lie and be silent rather than be vocal and tell the truth. That choice trained my heart to equate silence with safety and truth with danger.
At first, silence feels like protection. But eventually, it becomes a cage. One you build to protect yourself, but end up trapped inside.
Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
If we want to break free from silence, we have to exchange our yoke for His. That exchange might look like choosing truth over people-pleasing, or courage over convenience. We can’t keep carrying the burden of unspoken pain alone.
Silence may feel safe, but it can choke your purpose. It’s time to free ourselves—to rise and speak with courage. Not out of disrespect, but out of truth.
Let your voice be heard, not just to free yourself, but to help someone else find theirs.
🕊️ Prayer
Lord, teach me to speak when silence is no longer safe. Give me grace to use my voice with wisdom and love. Let my words bring light, healing, and freedom, first to me, then to others.
💭 Reflection Prompt
When have you chosen silence to keep the peace?
What did it cost you—and what might change if you spoke now?
📕Continue the Journey
This reflection comes from my book Love Endures All: The Journey, a cinematic devotional memoir where faith meets raw honesty.
If this post resonated with you, the full story awaits you there, stories, prayers, and lessons that will remind you: Love Endures All… Even Here. Even Now.
👉 [Grab your copy of Love Endures All: The Journey here.]
