My mom has this framed print above a doorway that says "Be still and hear the whisper of God." I just love it. Such a simple statement and yet so hard for most of us to do. I am trying really hard to realign my priorities, take more time for myself, and to be still and listen.
This morning I am reading How does God get our attention?
The next time you find yourself wishing that God would pull you aside and whisper a lullaby in your ear. The next time you are looking for something clever, something different, something unique that lets you alone know for sure. The next time you need an audible, clear signal that all is right with the world and God is in control.
Then stop and take your own pulse. Pause and listen to whatever sounds your eardrums can detect. Feel the solid ground beneath your feet and consider the infinite worlds and possibilities beyond. Remember that God's single word gave life to it all.
And because, in that moment, you have the capability and the wherewithal to say "thanks," then you will know it is true: God is still speaking.
And even now, as I try to find that space to just be quiet and be thankful, the dog wants out. This is my biggest conflict. Work is necessary. Spending time with the children is necessary. Keeping a clean and orderly home is necessary. All of these things gobble up many hours of the day. I also find it important to be of service to others so I try to get to the nursing home a couple of times a week and I say yes when asked to help out with school functions. There go more hours. Having our animals brings joy into our lives. Someone has to care for them. Sleep is important. The only place left to get more hours is that silent time I try to take. If I'm sitting there doing nothing physically, then I can easily jump up and fold some laundry and that's what I do.
I know I'm not the only one in this predicament but it's really sad. The state of this world today is beyond insane. When the headline news of the week is who gets custody of a dead body. When our young men and women dying in a war has become so routine it's buried under Brittini's rehab. These are the times we need God yet also the times when we are hard pressed to find the time. So I guess it's a good thing our God speaks to us in the small things. We just need to take that minute or two to marvel at the little things we take for granted and count our blessings.