The Subtlety of God

Photo courtesy Watch and Pray Blog

 

In previous generations people used to talk about how God speaks to them. You don’t hear about that much anymore.

I’ve wondered why.

Could it be that we aren’t paying attention? I lean towards that theory. With our frantic bustling to get all done on our “to do”, bucket list or vision board, we don’t have a lot of time for silence. It doesn’t fit in with our schedule. But God operates best in silence.

He doesn’t like to compete with the world with all its extraneous noise pounding our ears. When He has something to say to us, he wants both ears and our brain engaged. And frankly, I don’t do that a lot.

Unlike human parents, he tends to be subtle with his personal messages. And, He whispers. After all He’s in charge of the universe and he doesn’t need to prove his power with a booming voice. But we need to prove our interest in Him.

The story below really happened to me. I’m sharing it with my readers so that we may all learn the voice of God in our lives and not be afraid to share His words.

Here’s the story:

A week before Christmas I jumped out of bed and told my half-awake husband that we were going to have three grandchildren this year. I felt very strongly that this would happen. Probably because I don’t go around saying, “God told me this,” he listened to me without skepticism.

Christmas Day my oldest daughter marched her three boys into our family room. They were all wearing orange shirts that said, “Party of six.” Busy cooking the dinner, the message took a few minutes to register. Their family of five will soon be six.

– Ah ha, Baby number 1 is on its way.

Little did I know that my daughter-in-law, standing in the same room, had her own secret.

–  Two weeks later we found out she was pregnant. Baby number 2.

Number three baby would a few months slower coming.  If you’ve ever lost a child or grandchild you know the emptiness it creates for an entire family and we’d experienced the loss of our youngest daughter’s little girl, Juniper.  An empty car seat sitting in the garage and boxes of infant clothes ready for the Goodwill are sad reminders.  And, spotting a 5-month old baby at the grocery brings renewed tears for all of us.

But God said three. Yes, three.

On Father’s Day I dropped in to help my youngest prepare for a cookout. She loves to try out new recipes and it’s a treat to see what latest creation she’s stirred up.

I looked around her kitchen. No sumptuous dessert in the frig, nothing brewing on the stove.

Glancing at her on the couch, green around the gills, I figured she was fighting allergies again. A basin sat on the coffee table waiting for her stomach to erupt once again. With a woozy expression, she blurted out, “I’m pregnant,” and rushed to the nearest toilet.

There ya go, Baby number 3

Time for rejoicing. Rejoicing three times. Three babies in nine months.

I love it when God lets us in on a few secrets. He’s very subtle and his words often are brief.

No, I’m not psychic. For some reason God shared with me a peek of the future. He does speak to us. If we can quiet our mind, erasing the blackboard of trivia we collect during the day, you and I might be surprised what we hear.

Psalm 46: 10 says, “Be still and know I am God.”