Do not confuse God’s silence with God’s absence.

Quiet is not the same as being gone, though the two are hard to tell apart while you are waiting. The mind fills silence with the worst available reading, usually abandonment, because that is the interpretation fear reaches for first. It is one interpretation among several, not a conclusion.

During a silent stretch, keep doing the ordinary faithful things rather than waiting for a signal to resume. Show up for the small commitments. That practice holds the ground steady until whatever is coming becomes audible.