Whispers

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

My voice is still scratchy. I won’t be singing for awhile. Pneumonia has had its way in my body this fall. But after a month of whispers, my voice is on its way back. While whispering, my thoughts wandered around these ideas:

When I whisper, others have to come close to hear me…

No more hollering between rooms or passing messages from one floor of the house to another. If Brian wanted my opinion on a matter, he had to come close. If the kids wanted my help or permission to go somewhere, they had to get near to me for the answer. Scripture compares God’s voice to a whisper. Am I close enough to hear it? James tells us, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” Have I “drawn near” to God? Have I sat down at his feet and listened? Have I heard his whispers of love, of guidance? Oh God, please whisper to me…

When I whisper, others often whisper back…

It’s as if quiet becomes the rule. It’s not posted anywhere, “NO TALKING OUT LOUD”. But the natural response is for soft words to reign. Grace whispered her answers to me. The nurses whispered back to me. Even people on the phone responded with a whisper. When God whispers, do I whisper also? Am I letting him set the tone of my life? Do I pass his gentleness on? Are my words worth hearing, like his? Oh God, let me mimic you…

When I can only whisper, I listen far more, and the words I choose are not idle…

The more I used my voice, the more it hurt. So I only whispered when it was of some value to me. Small talk? I’d rather not talk. I thought of Zachariah who couldn’t talk at all. When writing, he had no use for small talk and got right to the point, “His name is John.” – an answer in obedience, exactly as God had directed. Now that I have the option, am I still choosing my words with care? Am I wasting my breath and voice box on worthless drivel and idle chatter? Oh Lord, may my words be pleasing…

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

The Master Builder

Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat –

For he grants sleep to those he loves.

The sounds of summer have given way to the murmurs of fall, the shouts of kids enjoying the sun replaced by quiet steady rainfall while they are in school. In this moment I realize that a year has come full circle. The sounds of hammers and air compressors have given way to the quiet hum of a refrigerator in a new kitchen, the buzz of saws replaced by a peaceful minute to reflect.

building…

Our project nears completion. A year ago, brambles scratched our legs as we looked over a building site. Today we walk down a poured concrete drive, up the porch steps and enter a beautiful front door. Many hours measuring, cutting, holding, nailing, staining, and sanding show up in warm floors and cozy walls. But a year of building yields more than a house.

With each friend who stopped by to lend a hand for a day, God was building friendship and community into our lives. With each construction loan payment, God was building our trust in his provision. We had learned to see his provision through a missionary paycheck, but now his provision comes from so many sources, food from a friend’s garden, hand-me-downs from a cousin, a mechanic who keeps our cars running without charging us. With the completion of a new mailbox and numbers on our house, God was building a sense of rootedness and belonging for this family of wanderers. With looming deadlines, God was building perseverance and patience into our character.

guarding…

In our little town, our doors are always open, but that doesn’t mean we’re not watching out. This move to small town USA has been all about guarding our family. In fact, as a pastor’s family, guardianship is a key part of shepherding our church family as well. So we as parents stand guard as we watch what media enters our home and as we discuss the concepts that come home in public school textbooks. We stand guard over our church family as we pray for them, learn to know their hearts, teach and encourage them. We even try to stand guard over our own hearts because we are all prone to wander.

sleeping…

Building and guarding a family, building and guarding a church family requires many hours. These hours are not spent measuring, cutting, nailing, and staining, but praying, listening, learning, and guiding. We often rise early or stay up late, toiling for sustenance that will nourish us and strengthen us to live well. But isn’t it good to know that these efforts are not in vain because “while they sleep” the Master Builder and Watchman “provides for those he loves.”