It’s 11:15. Things are starting to wind down. The day has had its share of sound and fury, and it isn’t quite over yet. Not in the world I inhabit these days. But as the curtain does begin downward on this day it brings a change in the vocabulary. The language of commerce and connections gives way to something different.
I love it when I’m drawn to the rhythm and melody of The Quiet Words.
In a world filled with the shrill and loud words, the passionate and proud words, where turning up the volume and dialing down the listening are commonplace, does your heart ever yearn for something more… still?
Calm?
Intentionally peaceful?
Mine does. I find myself drawn to, and longing for, The Quiet Words.
Behind the din of the marketplace, the duties of the workplace, and the drama and demonstrations of the worship-place, I’m ready for Elijah’s surprise. There in a cave, beyond the wind, the earthquake and the fire that were void of God’s voice, he heard The Quiet Words.
The gentle whisper.
The still, small voice.
And there – in The Quiet Words – he heard the Voice
The Quiet Words aren’t limited to caves and burned-out Old Testament prophets. But they are limited to those who will still themselves enough to hear them.
You’ll find The Quiet Words at the frontiers of your day – in the early light of morning or the peaceful collapse of the day’s activity.
You’ll find The Quiet Words in the ways you add “without ceasing” to your praying, or when you take your conversations with God into the closet.
There is a place for the joyful exuberance of a family get-together or the roar of the crowds in whatever cathedrals you worship in or buy peanuts and Cracker Jacks in. But The Quiet Words are different. They flourish on gratitude for blessings and expressions of simple happiness.
You’ll find The Quiet Words as you plant those springtime seeds in your garden, enjoy the shady bank of your favorite fishing spot, hear the crackling of the leaves as you walk together through the autumn woods, or watch the gentle whisper of the falling snow.
In nearly every expression of heartfelt love, the words get softer at the edges, warmer in tone. Love is an invitation to the beloved to come to The Quiet Words of the Faithful and True.
The Quiet Words speak the language of nearness and closeness. They offer intuitive guidance when we’re lost and shared delight when we find what we’ve been looking for.
The Quiet Words speak of the heart of the protector, the tacit reminders that say, “I’m still here… still watching… still aware.”
The Quiet Words speak light through the darkness. Signal through the noise. Order through the chaos. Like a beacon in the night they only get clearer when life gets stiller and darker. But when they do speak, the clarity is as stunning as the brightest star on a spangled country night.
The Quiet Words have impact because they’re never aimed for the ears or the mind, but the heart. They can penetrate the white noise in a crowded room because they’re focused. Attentive. Attracted first, then attractive.
The Quiet Words, like a blazing fire, create energy. And because of the way they linger in the soul, the Quiet Words continue to burn like embers in the fireplace long after flame has disappeared.
And so. It’s 11:15 and the miles to go before I sleep feel more distant than ever. There’s a paper to write and 47 to read and two five-week-old puppies that have their days and nights mixed up. But though I am fatigued in body and weathered in mind, a part of my heart has come alive to the mystery and magic of The Quiet Words.
And they gently whisper, “Here I am.”
And my heart leaps in reply… “There You are.”