Can You Hear Me Now?

But how does one hear this ...

... sound of gentle Stillness… 

...this soft, quiet Whisper… 

...this still small Voice…in the world of thunderous storm, in the age of raging fires, in the era of shaking foundations?

In the times and epochs so rich in noise, so prolific in front page bold-faced half-truths that eventually we all grow calluses not only on our ears but more importantly, on our hearts?

For God doesn’t enter the stage of our lives as a loud competitor outshouting every other contender for our heart, affection and attention. In fact, more of often than not, the louder our world gets the softer He seems to choose to speak... . 

Sometimes I do that to my children. Not to annoy them.  Not to get them frustrated. And certainly not to test their hearing capacity.

Sometimes I do it just to remind them of the simple, self-evident truth that they so often forget in their noise-making ways. 

That I am… here.  

That I am listening to them. 

That I love the sound of their tiny voices.

That I always hear them, even when they don't realize it….

I hear them when they are happy.When they are angry.  When they are sad, and mad, and quiet, and arguing and chatting and laughing and petting the dog and singing to the guinea pig. I hear their sniffles and giggles and the pitter-patter of their fingers on the computer keyboard.

I always hear them... And even though I could (and sometimes I do!), I really don't want to scream my way into their world. I don't want to command their attention by shouting the loudest. Because, above all else, I want them to want to hear me…