Key Concept:
To hear something quiet, we must listen carefully.
Simple Focus:
For the ears; sharpening our listening so that we might hear the things we should (and not hear/attend to the things we shouldn’t)
Whispers from God, by Jenny Spidell
One of the things I find most annoying about my relationship with God is the method of communication God uses. As many times as I have begged for a flashing neon sign or shouts through a megaphone to give me directions - and trust me, I’ve begged - God has never once used either of those things to guide me. No no, God prefers a little whisper or a gentle tug on my heart strings, both of which are much more difficult to notice in the midst of the chaos of everyday life. Doesn’t God know how busy I am? Doesn’t God know how much quicker I would be to respond if the messages were a little more grandiose?
Would it shock you at all to learn that I am really terrible at taking time to just sit in God’s presence and do nothing but listen? I'm pretty consistent with the number of times I pick up the phone to run some thoughts by God, but I don’t often remain on the line long enough to make room for God’s response; I say what I need to say and hang up. The good news for me is that God probably giggles at my scatterbrained messages and continues to love me well.
The truth of the matter is, Mother [God] knows best. Would it be easier to decipher God’s directions for my life with neon signs? One hundred percent. Would a loud booming voice be as easy to miss as the whispers? Definitely not! But perhaps the lesson for me in the whispers and nudges is that I have to choose to pay attention. I have to choose to slow down, for just a minute, and be quiet.
As annoying as I have found it to be, God’s method of communicating with me is teaching me patience in the waiting, and I am also learning how to listen carefully. If I’m constantly looking for the extravagant burning bush type moments I’m going to miss it; but if I can pay attention to the goosebumps I get during a really good sermon, or the smallest tears that form in the corners of my eyes while singing a powerful worship song in the car, or the way my heart starts beating a little quicker when I’m talking about my call to ministry, then I just might start to understand God’s love language. God is choosing to be subtle with me not to test me, but to help me be more faithful in the listening; to help me find pockets of joy and rest in the chaos.
Now that I think about it, the whispers and tugs are maybe not so annoying… they are my very own terms of endearment from a very patient and loving God who sees my stress and knows how much I love instant gratification, but who loves me well by inviting me to be still.
Do you hear that..? Do you feel that..? God can be so subtle... are you paying attention?
Prayer:
God of big winds and grand gestures of love, remind us to look for you in the simple - we know you’re there. Forgive us for talking over you as we make our demands. Please continue to be patient with us as we work on listening more carefully. You do know how busy we are, but perhaps your gift to us is that we must slow down and be still to hear you clearly. Thank you for the invitation to rest - may it be so. Amen.