That Still Small Voice is Calling

by Michele Boy | September 12, 2024

Today I am off to my daughter’s first volleyball game. Game? Match? I am learning. Please be patient. 
  Yesterday was the anniversary of 9/11, a grim reminder of how ugly the world can be and how hate destroys so much of humanity.
  When I read the front page story about one Syracuse alumnus, my heart gets a little happier. Though he had trials and tribulations, he continues to find the good. 
  I spent last weekend at the Kansas State Fair. Not everything went our way but we found the good. We celebrated the positive and we had fun. 
And when we got home after a long weekend, there was hours of work ahead of us. I admit I wasn’t in the mood. 
But the three of us working together made it go much smoother. It was teamwork that made Sunday evening a bit easier. 
Watching the sunset at the barn filled my heart with peace. 
  What fills you with peace? Sometimes life gets hard. It is painful and the road seems longer. 
 I think laughter helps. Small victories. Helping someone along the way. 
  The last week, month, summer, lol, has all had a number of things I didn’t plan on. 
It was friendships, laughter, and some venting of frustrations  that helped me through it all.
  Over the weekend standing in line for the restroom at the State Fair, I overheard two women in conversation. It was loud as they were trying to speak over the livestock showmen blow drying the hair of the animals. 
I felt a small quiet voice saying you could offer something of value to the conversation. I apologized for interrupting and asked if I could interject. 
They were very congenial and I think I helped. 
  On Tuesday, I had another opportunity to help. 
It felt amazing. I love when I can be of service.  But at the same time there needs to be balance. I missed the ball games on Tuesday because I had nothing left.
 I needed to finish some work and take a short rest. 
  Easy to judge isn’t it? Why isn’t someone doing this or that?
 We don’t know the battles they are going through do we?
  If I look at the last week, I see God everyhere. I see he gave me strength to do far more then I thought I could. He gave me opportunites to help others. He gave me rest. He helped me see so much value in teamwork, laughter, and friendships. 
 His perspective helps me see the good. 
  Growing up it was a me attitude and a victimlike belief in my foundation. Everything was shaped by ‘everyone is trying to get something from you.’
  There was constant anxiety, frustration, and almost a game of chess going on, of how I needed to be on defense all the time. 
It was survival mode.  Even in my sleep I played out scenarios with my guard up. 
  Today I have more peace day to day. Not always, I am not perfect lol. 
But I generally let go and let God. It is not my job to make sure you are happy. It is not my place to seek revenge or get back at those who try to hurt me. 
 It is my place to pray. It is my job to seek Him and ask what he wants. 
 I remember a Beth Moore story where she stood in an airport asking God what should I do? 
He said, “See that man in the wheelchair? Brush his hair.”
She said I told God, I will do anything but that. 
 After a short battle, she acquiesced. She asked the man and from there God took over. 
 Where are you today?  
That still small voice that is easy to ignore gets quieter as we don’t listen to it. 
 But it is always there waiting for your return. 
 God, what shall I do today? Where do you need me? What do you want?  
 Be sure to listen. You aren’t on this earth to do what someone else is doing. You are here because He needs you for something no one else will do.
 So be careful who you listen to. Sometimes God can use the strangest of places, people, and instances. 
  Ask Him. Then listen. It feels pretty good when you get to that place. 
 Wishing you a week of being His hands and feet. 
  Matthew 9:37-38, “He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”