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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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February 10, 2015

In the Doldrums

Have you ever wondered where different sayings come from? My son received a really cool game for Christmas called ‘Word Teasers’. (In the spirit of complete honesty let me clarify that his parents thought it fell in the ‘cool’ category while he thought it fell in the ‘educational’ category and those two categories don’t always cross over in an 11 year olds world!)

Essentially it is giving the background on all of those sayings, or idioms, which have become part of our everyday conversations. Like ‘raining cats and dogs’, ‘off the cuff’ or ‘penny for your thoughts’.

The other night I somewhat absentmindedly picked up the box of cards and began thumbing through them. It was fascinating to learn just how these phrases I use all the time really originated. Did you know that the phrase ‘chip on your shoulder’ comes from the early 1800’s where a young boy would put a chip of wood on his shoulder and then dare another boy to knock it off. If the second boy did knock it off then the two boys would fight each other? Or that to ‘read the riot act’ comes from England where the police were required to read a proclamation known as the Riot Act before they could break up a demonstration and arrest a crowd?

As I went through all of the cards in the box of word teasers, one particular phrase caught my eye.

In the doldrums.

It’s a saying I’ve used countless times and while I’ve always known that it had something to do with feeling down or depressed, I’ve never known how that phrase actually got it’s start.

You see, years ago, sailors noticed the stillness of the air when they got near the equator. They named this area ‘doldrums’. Frequently, there is no wind in this area for weeks on end and as a result, a ship caught in the doldrums can end up stranded.

They would find themselves stuck. A sailboat isn’t going to get very far without at least a little bit of wind.

After reading this I immediately felt myself understanding just how those sailors must have felt being caught in those doldrums.

So often we find ourselves in a place where we feel as though we’ve been stranded. We’re stuck. Not even the slightest hint of a breeze or a ripple on the water.

That place, that doldrum, can feel like the loneliest place on earth. Maybe it’s that so often stillness has a BFF that usually comes along with it named silence.

And silence is something I’ve freely admitted I’m not all that comfortable with.

There have been many seasons in my life where I have found myself simply staying afloat. I couldn’t even chart a course if I wanted to because there was no wind to carry me there. It is in those seasons when I find myself questioning God’s silence.

The waiting, the inactivity, can feel like some sort of punishment.

For me, waiting isn’t something I do with patience. Instead, I find myself almost frenetically trying to figure out what’s going to happen next.

What’s going to happen?

When will it happen?

How will I know if it’s the thing that’s supposed to happen?

When I find myself in the doldrums, all I’m usually doing is looking for a way out.

But what if we are supposed to look at the doldrums differently?

What if instead of watching and waiting for that breeze to come and carry us out of it, we are simply supposed to just…float?

In his book ‘My Utmost for His Highest’, Oswald Chambers talks about how we should really approach the seasons of silence.

He says, “Has God trusted you with His silence? A silence that has great meaning? God’s silences are actually His answers-Can you trust God like that, or are you still asking Him for a visible answer? – When you cannot hear God you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible-with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. If God has given you a silence, then praise Him- He is bringing you into the mainstream of His purposes.”

Do you hear that my friends? The times of silence or doldrums in our faith don’t mean that we are being punished or that we are are just supposed to ‘sit tight’ until the plan is finally revealed.

“God’s silences are actually His answers”. 

There might not be a wave in sight for miles, but when you are sitting there in that boat, in the doldrums, you are still floating, right? Your boat isn’t sinking!

And think about what it means to have God trust us with His silence. It’s like He’s giving us a gift. A glimpse into His heart for us.

What if we looked at the doldrums as an opportunity? A chance to rejoice in the fact that He sees us as capable of handling the seasons with no answers. The times of silence.

Imagine being on the high seas for weeks on end. Tossed this way and that as you face enormous waves which threaten to overturn your boat. Then suddenly, you find yourself in a place of complete and utter stillness. You literally CAN’T go anywhere!

While on the one hand you might be filled with worry trying to figure out how on earth you were going to get out of there, on the other hand, wouldn’t there be a part of you that secretly relished the opportunity to just stop?

If God’s silences are actually His answers, we must learn to trust that they are His BEST for us in that moment.

Maybe they are protecting us from some unforeseeable situation. Maybe they are preparing us for a new opportunity.

Or maybe He just wants us to slow down.

To stop and simply enjoy His silence…right there in the doldrums.

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21 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals

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Comments

  1. Cathy says

    February 10, 2015 at 3:13 AM

    Thanks for your thoughts. I don’t usually finish most of the blog post , but, this one spoke to me. We have recently lost a brother & someone I know seems lost in despair not able to let go and move on. I am going to send this along to them & see if they will hear gods silent voice.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:43 PM

      I’m so, so sorry for the loss of your brother Cathy and for the person in your life who seems to be lost in despair. I will be praying for them and for you too!

      Reply
  2. Vanessa says

    February 10, 2015 at 4:02 AM

    I didn’t know the meaning of that word either, well it’s true meaning. I can relate to this post. In standing and waiting it can be hard for our flesh, but we have to remember to continue to trust Him in those moments we are waiting.

    Reply
  3. Beverly Cook says

    February 10, 2015 at 5:52 AM

    Such depth to this post this morning. Let’s just say it is truly making me think…

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:42 PM

      So glad I could provide some food for thought Beverly! Thanks for coming by!

      Reply
  4. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    February 10, 2015 at 6:55 AM

    Have always heard that term but never really truly understood what that meant…I thought I did, until now. Always enjoy your truly inspirational posts….and gives new meaning to Silence Is Golden.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:42 PM

      Thank you so much Shirley! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Julia G. says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:17 AM

    I so needed to read this today. Thank you for posting and let your son know that his gift has blessed others today!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:41 PM

      Thanks Julia!

      Reply
  6. Vicki says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:25 AM

    I love the lesson! Thank you! I was just reading Utmost last night. I love it.

    Reply
  7. Anne says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:53 AM

    Beautiful post Vanessa!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:41 PM

      Thank you sweet friend!

      Reply
  8. Jeanine says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:02 AM

    I love your posts! Really look forward to them. I loved this post today. Didn’t know the true meaning of that word til now. Thank you for explaining it.
    Have a blessed day!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:40 PM

      Thank you so much Jeanine!

      Reply
  9. barb says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:53 AM

    Truth be told (!) I dont usually finish much that is a ‘lesson’ especially if it has God in it – not that I have anything against God…just a long story like many of us have.

    But today, as others have said, your post really spoke to me in an effort to work my way out of a ‘doldrum’ (do doldrums come in the singular?) I dont even understand – perhaps it will become clear as I become silent…

    Thank you for the many things you do!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:39 PM

      Barb you are so right…we definitely all have a long story and our relationships with God can be so complicated, right? I know my faith has definitely gone through big highs and big lows. I want you to know that I will be praying for you as you work through this season of ‘doldrums’ in your own life. And know that you aren’t alone in it! Thank you for sharing with me and for your encouraging comment. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Julie says

    February 10, 2015 at 1:59 PM

    Thanks for this Vanessa. Between your post and a devotion my friend gave me on The Power of Relinquishment, I see this as a message to me to be patient and allow God to do his work in me and for me to be patient. I think sometimeswhen we ask for an answer we need to realize that “silence is his answer” .

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:36 PM

      Patience is not something I’m very good at Julie so I completely relate! Thanks so much for stopping by and for leaving a comment. 🙂

      Reply
  11. KMcG73 says

    February 11, 2015 at 1:52 AM

    Thank you for sharing such a fresh perspective Vanessa! I usually tear through 60+ decorating, etc blog emails per morning, but yours really gives me pause to read entirely, and time to reflect.

    These posts are so wonderful, different and refreshing, I hope you consider putting a collection of them together in hard copy someday! (that’s a selfish request on my part, a book would be great to carry around, and easier for reference than trying to access my bookmarks/email away from home)

    Thank you again!
    Karen 🙂

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:35 PM

      Karen I cannot even begin to tell you just how much your comment means to me!! Putting a book together is definitely a dream of mine and your words were just the affirmation I needed that perhaps one day that dream will come true. Blessings to you!! 🙂
      Vanessa

      Reply
  12. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    February 15, 2015 at 7:04 PM

    Love this post, Vanessa. I had no idea where that phrase came from – usually we do know the origins of phrases around here and I’m sharing this with Mr. Claire too.
    And I agree with the commenter above – you should write an ATPF Devotional or something!
    I’ll be first in line.
    xoxo

    Reply

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