By Amanda Easterday
I went to the Living Water Women’s Retreat hoping for a break-through. I was hoping for an eye-opening, cathartic, emotional, huge spiritual growth experience. All the elements were there. Wonderful, welcoming women, a gorgeous southern-feel building, incredible conversation topics of where we fit and what our roles are in life, and lovely old hymns to sing-a-long to. The equation was perfect!
However, I wasn’t among those who had that break-through, eye-opening, emotional experience. I was surrounded by all the wonderfulness that could have added up to that type of experience, but it just wasn’t meant for me that weekend. I was bummed. When the retreat was over, I retreated emotionally. How come I didn’t cry and open up and have a God-filled experience? How come others did, but I didn’t? I didn’t find this very fair.
Then, I decided that I was going to write up this reflection for the church blog. So, obviously, I had to decide what to write about. What could I write about that would be exciting and moving if my experience wasn’t something incredibly amazing and spiritually uplifting? It hit me.
“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 a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a still, small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11+12
That “still, small voice” was the LORD. He chose to use a whisper to speak to Elijah. He could have used anything to display His power, strength, and glory, but He chose a still, small voice. Sometimes, that’s what we need.
I discovered that the still, small voice was what God had in store for me that weekend. That whisper told me that I have an incredible church family. It reminded me that there are wonderful women in my life that I can reach out to and know they will welcome me. The LORD’s voice reminded me that he made a beautiful world that we are allowed to enjoy.
The whisper said, You don’t need a loud, heart-wrenching, tear-filled experience in order to remember that you are loved and cared for. All you need is Me. “My grace is sufficient” (2 Cor. 12:9).
What a wonderful reminder! Look for the small voices in your life. Places where you think there should be more, but all you really needed to hear was your daughter say, “I love you, Mom,” or your boss say, “Great work today!” or your husband say, “What an awesome dinner,” or your mother say, “You worked really hard in your soccer game today, and I’m proud of you,” or that one lyric in a worship song on Sunday that spoke directly to your life.
Look for the still, small voice. It’s there. You just have to listen.
