Silence is Golden

Sometimes there just isn't anything to say. I realize this more the older I get and the more life I experience. In the past two weeks people in our community have lost a 2 year old niece at the hands of an abuser and a 12 year old nephew to Leukemia. I desperately wish I had a bag of preacher's wife's tricks that I could pull out and say or do something to fix everything. I don't. I have a million cliche's and Bible verses I could quote. I have cookbooks full of food I could cook.
But, as someone who lost a six year old cousin to tragedy, I know that nothing really makes it better. Only God can comfort in these times.

When I was 15 or 16 my friends and I decided we would play one of those games where you all tell each other the truth about what you think of them and hope that your friendship survives. I'll never forget one of my friends telling me that sometimes she wished that instead of trying to always give her advice I would just listen to her. Can you imagine that I would talk too much? :)
I've always remembered that "game" and really took those words to heart. We all want to be fixers. But, sometimes people just need listeners. And sometimes....silence is golden.