“People see God every day, they just don’t recognize Him.” Pearl Bailey
And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11b-13
Aeolian: “of or caused by the wind; wind-blown” Dictionary.com
It has to be quiet. We’re not used to the quiet. At least I’m not. Most of us are addicted to stimulation. Some of it we know is not healthy and some of it we consider good and wholesome. For example, we all know that a gossip show on TV is a waste of our time. However, most would consider reading a good book an honorable pastime. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to bash what you do in your spar time. There are times when it’s appropriate waste some time. And reading a book is usually a good thing to do. However, I don’t think most of us make time for pure quietness. Turn off the TV. Turn off the computer. Close that book. Even turn the classical music off. Be quiet. You might be surprised at what you hear. You might be surprised at how your brain can dump the things that are stressing you. And if you listen, you might be surprised at what God has to say. Our society leaves little room for God in our lives. Sure, we may go to church on the weekends. We may pray and read the Bible. But do we listen for God’s direct voice into our lives. Too often we ask God to catch up with us on proverbial “fly.” We expect that if God has something to say to us He’ll make it known in some sort of aeolian way. That’s when accidents happen. “What was that?” We ask ourselves. “Was I just asked to pray for my sister?” “Na, I’m sure it was just the wind and my crazy brain.” Too often that’s our thought process. Until one day... Whack, God gets our attention. But He’s not in the car accident. He’s not in the flood, fire, or hurricane. Those are just events to slow us down. To get our attention. To cause us to listen. Listen! We don’t have to wait for the hammer blow. We don’t have to wait to be whacked. We can listen, right here, right now. Put a pause on life, if only for 10 minutes. It has to be quiet. Be available to Him. He’s got something to say, if we would just listen. Let’s listen.
Daily Journaling Questions:
How did I help someone in kindness today?
What did I learn today?
What am I thankful for?
Who did I love today?
What am I dreaming of?
What about today do I want to remember forever?
What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thanks for reading,
Jake
YOU ARE READING
Daily Self Growth Journal Pt. IV
Non-FictionThis is the fourth part of a project called the "Daily Self Growth Journal." Its purpose is to prompt readers to journal through encouragement, motivation, and inspiration. In it, the first thing I do is provide a motivational, or inspirational qu...
