Listening

I love words!

I just simply enjoy phrases and sentences and individual words that demand I look them up in the dictionary. If it hadn't been for the horror of trying to diagram sentences in Mr. Calbert's English class, I would have majored in English instead of history.

Oddly enough, when I applied for a teaching position, the school needed an English teacher. I asked if they had answer keys; they said yes; and I said, "I can teach English!" (That position was here in central FL and I periodically run into some of my former students. Even though they are adults with families of their own, I just take it as a good sign that my face is still recognizable after all these years. Smile.)

Back to "words"......

This morning I read a fabulous phrase that literally brought a smile to my face. So I thought I'd share it with you, dear readers:

"And these are but the outer fringes of his works,
How faint the whisper we hear of him!"
Job

Isn't that just delicious?! You have to read it slowly a couple of times; let it roll around; savor the implications.

Sitting on my back porch, drinking coffee, watching the mist roll over our yard, experiencing a cool morning breeze, knowing the day is just full of potential. I look at all the blessings and realize that they are only the "outer fringe" of possibility. As a matter of fact, what I'm experiencing right now is only a "faint whisper" of God's ultimate goodness.

(You may ask,"Did you take a strong pain pill or something, Sheri?" Smile.)

No, I'm reading a book by C.S. Lewis that is really challenging me to think outside the conventional box. Life is full of trouble and disappointment and sorrow and genuine struggle! I'm well acquainted with the truth of this and could give you a personal laundry list that might rival Job's.

But I'm also aware that there are mundane moments of majesty that beg to be acknowledged.

Like when one of my daughters sees that I'm struggling and comes over to cuddle up with me for a moment. Like the touch of Frank's hand on my face. Like the genuine smile of a trusted friend. Like the "brush strokes" of a sunrise or sunset. Your list will be different from mine.

For every disappointment, I choose to believe that there is a balancing delight. And we control which will be our focus. Some days the difficulty is very loud and screams to receive my full attention. That's when I must become intentional and rehearse the truth I've found in the "faint whisper".

I choose to look up and beyond my little circle; realizing that the universe is so much bigger than the small box I try to fit it in.

Yeah, that's a lot to ponder on a Saturday morning! Smile.

But I really want to offer you encouragement this morning. "Even in sorrow the heart can find joy." Listen for the faint whisper of love. It's definitely there, we just have to choose to hear it. Hope your week-end is blessed!