Journeying to Grace

A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks…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 there was fire—but the Lord was not in the fire.

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19:11-13a)

This is one of my favorite verses in scripture because the scene and the message are so vivid. I can picture a vast mountain and experience the strength of the wind, the movement of the earthquake, and the heat of the fire. I often revisit this verse when I need to refocus my spiritual gaze, and it calls me to move to the entrance of the cave my heart is temporarily stuck in. It’s there that I intentionally seek the contrast from the strong, loud, chaotic forces around me and hope to recognize the tiny whispering sound meant just for me to hear, receive, and understand. I find it especially helpful when discouraging noises and notions are attempting to settle in me to create turmoil instead of peace.  

Though I’m thankful it doesn’t happen too frequently, I have the bad habit of imagining a negative situation before it even happens. I play out a possible scenario in my mind with full details, conversations, and unwelcome outcomes. I allow wrong and harmful forces, sounds, and voices to have space. Though it’s appropriate to prepare for the possibility of challenges and unwanted situations, these experiences, though imaginary, are never helpful. They only create greater anxiety about what I may or may not encounter, and when I’m done, my spirit is depleted and diminished. It is then that I become clearly aware that it wasn’t the Lord who led me to this experience. It wasn’t His voice I was listening to. I was not on a path that leads to a caring, patient, and merciful Father. I allowed my imagined wind, earthquake, and fire to obstruct the whisper of love and peace.

In times when we hear what hurts us instead of what heals us, let us in faith choose to reset and reclaim our path so that we might truly hear. ‘So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom 10:17) May the invitation of the Lord’s whisper overcome the turmoil around us, bring us peace, and refocus our spiritual gaze.