The weather has changed drastically in the blink of a day. Out here in California, we get caught in the rain, literally, because we are so used to dressing for the sun. Not any more.
This weekend, on my whitespace appointment with God outdoors, I heard the call of the wind.
There, in a patch of redwood forest trees, I stopped to sit. It’s deafeningly quiet, until the air catches a breeze. The leaves start swaying and branches begin crackling, as they bend with each gust.
Slowing down in nature inevitably leads me to listen, breathe, and speak.
Except, the words that come out are barely audible.
I don’t know why, but I whisper.
For the slow and tender times, I whisper.
A baby’s coo
A soothing rock
A child’s secret telling
I promise with bated breath
When pain draws near
Speech quiets, my words hush
Moments to savor
An evening thick with love
Two souls whisper and confide
Instinctively, when I move in close to the Lord, I whisper.
It turns out I am only doing so, as a response to His voice, which calls to me softly.
The Love Whisperer calms and chooses his language of love in quietness.
God waits for us to slow down, in order to return us to rest.
Can you recall your last whisper? Was it a moment to remember?
God desires to bring us into his ardour. His invitation calls us to stop and drift to an intimate place:
“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12
It is normal in our hectic world with responsibilities, people and bills to take care of, to be overcome with activity.
Our Lord Jesus understands this better than anyone else.
That is why He smiles and whispers, as He beckons us:
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
Our Love Whisperer is speaking. If only we can slow down enough to hear and linger in love.
Perhaps we’d whisper some love words back, in return.
Today's post was inspired by poet L.L. Barkat, who offered an invitation to "slowing" at Seedlings in Stone.
This post is written as Part 2 in a the series "What's Love Got To Do With It?".
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Part 1: Perfected in Love, Surrogate-Free
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15 Comments
Beautifully written! And thanks so much, I just popped over to L.L. Barkat’s place….and like I said, I am SO overdue for my own whitespace. So because of both of you…I am making an appointment this afternoon for me, myself and God.
Peace and love~
*~Michelle~*
This…
“I don’t know why, but I whisper.”
Yes. And it reminds me of my daughter’s question once… “Why do I feel like whispering when I’m in a really big, old building?
The awe of the place. And so too, under Redwoods.
This is beautiful, Bonnie. I really need to slow down and listen for that whisper!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Billy Coffey and Bridget Chumbley, MakeADifferenceToOne. MakeADifferenceToOne said: RT @TheBonnieGray: New Post: When Was The Last Time You Whispered? http://bit.ly/FEgMf The Call of Love Whispers […]
Really enjoyed that Bonnie. Not sure I’ve ever really stopped and thought about that verse in kings but it was very encouraging.
That was a great post that we could all learn a thing or two from about just stopping. Listening. Because when God called Abraham to come up to the mountain, God just wanted him to be there. Mentally, physically, just rest in God’s presence. And that’s what God calls us to do at times. But not always, because then, there’s action!
It’s that whisper we all hunger for. Lately, for me, it’s whispers about David, and I’m pulled in the books of Samuel. Beautiful post.
You truly amaze me, Bonnie! I know that God is smiling on you every day. He loves how you remind us of His gentleness, His goodness and His greatness. That was beautiful!
I can’t remember the last time I had whitespace or listened for a Whisper. I can feel the lack of it, too. Thanks for the reminder, Bonnie.
@Michelle: Oh, I hope it went well, Michelle!
@LLBarkat: You are a keen observer. No wonder you’re a poet. 😉
@Bridget: Thanks!
@Chris: It is a beautiful passage of God whispering.
@bman: Brian, your reflection on Abraham is a great addition to the post. Thank you! Great to have you here.
@Glynn: What a wonderful dive you’ve taken into David’s whispers! Thanks for your poetry.
@Heather: God smiles on me through your words, Heather!
@Rebecca: Thanks for sharing, Rebecca. Whispers and whitespace are special.
Very, very beautiful and true. I love those moments with God, and I need to have more of them. 🙂
The Redwood Forest is one of my favorite places on earth. One can’t help but feel small in that place. And as you said, the quietness is just deafening, but so beautiful. I love your words, Bonnie. Thanks so much.
What I love best about His whispers is the way they embrace me so completely. Whether they come in the quietness of me listening, or in the clamor of me crying out, I never fail to feel in my Lord’s whispers the strength of His arms.
@jason: Thanks, Jason. That’s exactly how I feel. They’re so beautiful, it’s never enough.
@Ginny: You too, huh? The beauty of the redwood forest is unmatched. Astounding.
@Anne: That is so beautifully expressed Anne. What a gorgeous addition to the post!
The Love Whisperer … So nice.
What a soothing piece of writing. Whispers of grace here …
Thank you.