Monsoon vs. Whisper

"Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

I love it when the seasons change and the Fall activities start up again. Living in the desert has the quirkiness of "snow birds," or folks that leave the heat of summer for parts cooler. They take off in late Spring, leaving us with less traffic and easy access to the restaurants. But I notice that they have recently begun returning. We are full time residents and I can't imagine that lifestyle because I enjoy all of the seasons here, including the monsoons. Being a California girl, watching the slash of lightning, followed by booms of thunder and driving rain is a show in itself. And then it stops. The sun returns, the temperature increases and dries the runoff of water, and life resumes after the spectacular light show. I have discovered that God shows His power in the wind and rain but He is also present in the still small voice. Tonight I am speaking to a local group of women and I pray that I will listen to that gentle whisper so that my words will tell of the grace and glory of my Heavenly Father. He is the one that calms the storms in our life even when the thunder seem to drown out His voice. He leads us through the narrow way when life gets rough and the rushing water threatens to overcome us. He sent his Son to shine light and life in the darkness in our souls. He is my answer to the whirlwinds that threaten to cause fear, distraction, or danger. I can count on Him to give me peace, joy, and hope...sometimes with just a whisper.