quote 1, Listening for God, by Renita Weems

before the preface in Weems book, there is this quote from Madeleine L'Engle, The Irrational Season: "i have often been told that when one first turns to god, one is greeted with brilliant yes answers to prayers. for a long time that was true for me. but then, when he has you hooked, he starts to say no. this has been, indeed, my experience. but it has been more than a no answer lately; after all, no is an answer. it is the silence, the withdrawal, which is so devastating. the world is difficult enough with god; without him it is a hideous joke." (italics mine)

here are my observations. a) i have never been given the brilliant yes answers. b) 'no' is indeed an answer, and i have not received any of those either, brilliant or otherwise. c) the withdrawal implies a time of clear answers; again, not my experience. d) the italicized portion definately captures how i feel about the subject. but it does not fully express my theology. the silence is devastating for me, but does not imply god is gone or nonexistent. it simply means he is silent.

any thoughts out there?