“And…there was a strong wind…breaking in pieces the rocks…there was an earthquake…after the earthquake a fire…after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing…And behold, the LORD was passing by!” 1 Kings 19:11
It was June of 2000 and it had been a tumultuous couple of years. Year after year, I had watched all of my daughter’s friends mature into responsible, goal-driven, and excited young adults. Their lives laid out before them, and their journeys included exciting jobs and college adventures. It was the weekend of her high school graduation that she would not be attending. While other parents were adjusting their children's tassel I was adjusting my dreams. It had been a very public walk of darkness in our little farm community. Parents of graduates were so thoughtful to invite us to graduation parties but how could I attend something that was so glaringly heartbreaking for me? I remember stopping by a friend’s house the day before graduation to drop off a gift. As I drove up the drive-way I noticed that tents had been erected and preparations were being made for the following day’s celebration. The mom’s eyes met mine and tears spilled over onto both of our faces. There was nothing to say, but the tight and long hug said it all. The next morning as I anticipated the dreaded hour when my little girl was supposed to be walking across the stage, I decided to take some music and go sit on our deck. It was like I was waiting for the moment my heart would finally break after all the shattering that led up to that day. But then, the Lord unexpectedly passed by!
This beautiful song of comfort and love came on and at the moment of the graduation commencement I felt the Lord was singing over me. The song stopped and suddenly I could hear a symphony of birds singing all together. But the most precious gift was the gentle blowing of the breeze onto my face that I instinctively knew God was right there. He opened my mind to something that ushered in a truth of freedom for me. There would be no more comparisons…there would no longer be the public scrutiny of the teenagers. God showed me in that moment that finally each young adult would all engage in their own new and unique way. Some would go to work, some would go to college, and some would move away. In my heart, I was experiencing tornado force winds…life-shaking earthquakes… devastating fires. But in that small and gentle blowing God gave me freedom and lifted my despair. It would be another 4 years before I had my precious daughter back, but the work the Lord did in both her heart and my heart will always be one of our greatest faith experiences.
Whatever you are facing that feels like the end of the world, God is passing by and inviting you to a new season. He has new life and new hope in His message, and His desire is that you will take the hand that He is reaching out to you. ‘Detecting God’s presence in these quieter ways require patience and a keen spiritual ear, the kind He’s developing in you…His voice will draw you out of the caves of despair, disillusionment, and discouragement and will usher you into a freedom and newfound reverence for Him, a renewed and hopeful outlook for the future.’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 212.
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