” Allow the fire of SILENCE to burn away all that is not real” – Michael Jefferys
We hear about the ideal of spending time in the silence A LOT — but, really what does that mean?
When one son cannot find his precious Pokemon cards and starts to completely fall apart in despair, it is time to remember that silence is the answer. 
Yes, really…. My son earlier tonight could not find his stack of Pokemon cards. He had his holding tin and no cards while another son was proudly displaying his cards within his tin. Not finding the cards is even more of an issue since big brother gave them both tins and cards for Christmas so they have become very precious. 
It was bedtime. So, what little filter 6 and 7 year old children have on themselves is pretty much non-existent when the tiredness of bedtime settles. Crying and stomping around … it took a lot for me to not just say “REALLY?! — They are POKEMON cards — this is NOT the end of the Universe!” — but, of course, to him it was.
I kept the commentary running in part of my brain from leaking out my mouth and instead tried telling him that if he quieted down and walked around with me to everywhere he remembered being that we would be able to find them. NOPE — more complaining. I told him to get himself into bed and I would walk around myself. This only turned the complaining in to thumping on the pillow in complete frustration. I went in his room, looked at him and said that I needed him to just calm down a second and tell me where he last remembered holding his cards….. at that moment, he started smiling from ear to ear. The cards were in a neat little stack right on the other side of me on his dresser. I looked back, picked them up and handed them to him to put in his tin. He said ‘Thank you” and he started to cry.
When I asked him why he said he now felt stupid for causing me such an issue with his complaining and me looking all over for him. 
Wow.
 Instant recognition that the situation could have been handled differently. 
I sat with him on his bed and held him and asked him what we learned from this. I told him I understood that he was feeling stupid, but I thought he was actually pretty smart that he knew what we could do different.
He said to be quiet and think about it. Be quiet and walk around. That being quiet would make him not so upset and he would do a better job of fixing what he was upset about. 
What does it mean to be quiet?
Allowing connection to our internal compass that points the way. 
The more we take the time to sit in the silence and allow Spirit’s flame to grow with in us we really do ‘burn away all that is not real’ — for my son it was acknowledging that it was not the end of the world that he could not find his cards RIGHT THEN. 
For me — well, I am sure in the not so distant past I would have blurted out what was going on in my head instead of knowing that it really was not the end of my world either dealing my son and his issue at the time. 
We understand what the real issues are. We understand better how to make it through the issues with grace and love and not drama. The flame burns away all that is not love and replaces it with a light bright enough to see the loving pathway. 
I teach people that sitting quiet with Spirit will change them, allow the blending, the understanding and the closeness with our own relationship with Spirit to manifest in beautiful ways. I know I have become much closer to the Source than would ever be possible without the quiet devotional time. Until tonight, until my son realized right away what staying quiet would have done for him, I had not thought to include a practical examples on how it does improve our moment to moment interactions into the teachings.
Wishing you time in the silence. I know that sometimes it is hard to find, but very worth it. 
Blessings. 
Two of my greatest teachers.
The Fire of Silence