Day 21: Friday, March 24, 2017
Robin McKinley

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:11-13 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 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: 12 and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Devotion: We often expect, and even wish that the voice of God was as loud as a wind, an earthquake, or a fire. But we often hear the voice of God as a tiny nudge that is easy to miss if we aren’t paying attention. And then when we do pay attention, we often argue ourselves out of it.

 

I had a rough year last year. I moved to a town where I knew not one single person, miles away from any town I had ever lived. I chose Taylor because it was relatively close (30 miles) to my son and his family and because I could find a house there that I could afford. His three sons, my grandsons, are the most adorable in the whole world (I have pictures to prove it!) I am totally devoted to them. Only one month after I closed on my house, I found out my son, et. al., were moving to China. Now they would be a 15-hour plane trip away instead of a 45-minute drive.

 

Being in a new town, my first order of business was to join the church, and I loved our church from my first visit. Of course, relationships take a bit of time to develop, so I spent many a lonely day. I began to pray, “Please send me a friend.” And “Please help me get to know people at the church better.”

 

Then, I got the quiet nudge. “Robin, you need to go talk to people in the church and then write up a story about their lives.” But I put it off, thinking “I can’t do it now, there is an interim pastor and he won’t want to start a new project.” Soon, our new pastor came. Still I put it off. “Maybe she will think it is a dumb idea.”

 

Finally, after several more nudges, but with my heart in my throat, I laid out the idea with our new pastor. To my surprise, she loved the idea, and I began to write up the Member Spotlights. It has been such a blessing to me to get to know members and their interesting lives. Soon after, I began to feel well integrated into the church and truly a part of this community of God.

 

God works in many mysterious ways, and sometimes perhaps His voice is loud, but if we are quiet, and listen, the still, small voice will lead us. And then we have to follow it.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Spirit, Thank you for your guidance in my life and the blessings that guidance brings. Thank you for your patience and persistence as I stumble. Please help me to listen to your still, small voice and have the courage to act. Amen.

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