Silent Presence...

'If someone is going through a storm, your silent presence is worth more than a million empty words.'   Thema DavisThis quote is beautiful and meaningful when interpreted in its simplest form… but if we dig a little deeper into the concept of the power of quiet intention, there is so much to ponder.Whenever I read this quote, I think of the work of Dr. Larry Dossey and the research he shares in his classic book, ‘Prayer is Good Medicine.’In that book, Dr. Dossey cites a variety of research studies that were done on the powerful effect prayer had on the healing process. The studies were conducted at a variety of hospitals including, Mt. Sinai, Duke, and Boston’s Deaconess Hospital. The findings overwhelmingly concluded that prayer significantly positively affects the healing process of those being prayed for. This is remarkable, but perhaps even more interesting were the studies done on non-human ‘subjects’, non-human in this case, meaning bacteria. Researchers in France and at the University of Tennessee inhibited the growth of fungi in petri dishes by using prayer from distances of as much as fifteen miles. At St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, people used prayer to both inhibit and stimulate growth of bacteria in test tubes over a twenty-four-hour period. If this piques your interest I would recommend looking up Dr. Dossey’s book. It’s a quick and powerful read… and in the meantime, do not ever, ever, ever underestimate the power of your silent presence.If someone you love is going through a storm, and you cannot find words…. Take a deep breath, open up your heart, and give them your silent presence.