Sunday, December 25, 2011

He Came Soft as a Whisper


Good morning Lord. This past week has been full of pressures and it has been hard to feel you at all.  If you are in it – I missed it. So here I sit this morning. The lights of the Christmas tree shining bright speaking of holiday, rejoicing and happiness; but I am weary.

Is this how it has always been? Is this what you expected and wanted? I know the questions I asked are stupid. But, what has happened? To shift my thoughts toward you I find it hard and uncomfortable, even scary. To even talk to you is uncomfortable and I feel afraid to come up close. Is it because of my smallness next to your vastness or your infiniteness and my finiteness? Or my unavoidable death and your forever? Or is it you being all powerful and I being fragile and weak? There is also your complete and unlimited knowledge and then my lack of understanding and the questions that haunt me. And of course, there is always your holiness lighting up my sinfulness and I want to hide.

I would have expected you to come in thunder or lightening or maybe even riding an asteroid, for after all you are God, the all powerful one. But no, you came softly in less than a whisper, as a baby, small, helpless, weak, fragile, in an obscure stable of all places.  Did you come in this manner so I would not be frightened and not run and hide? I wonder…..

I am trying to not hide, and I am thankful for the story, so sweet and I begin to inch close to you. But to read on, later the story turns sad, horrible, and I want to hide again. I read of your grief, your suffering, the tears you shed, the loneliness you felt, the rejection by those close to you, and then of course comes the real horror, a cross.

 If that was the end, the story would have no meaning. But, then the story changes and lifts the sadness and the power of death is torn down by your resurrection. If I continue to hide and miss the story, it does not change its power does it? If I hide and ignore the story, it does not change the fact you came.  And that whisper if I am not quiet or careful I will miss it and the story will have no effect.

Now that the rush is over, now that the presents have been place under the tree, help me be quiet, help me not miss hearing your whisper….

19 comments:

Sylvia K said...

A beautiful and very moving post. Thank you for the reminder! It's a very sad Christmas for my family as my children's father is dying of cancer and not expected to live past this month, so it is time to look for the blessings and the beauty that is always there. Hope you have a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year!

Sylvia

Unknown said...

God did a lot of smiting aeons ago. And I think a lot of prophets asked Him not to be so brutal and be a bit mellow.

He is still waiting his chance though :)

Debra said...

A most excellent post GQ! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

You touched my heart with this, GQ. Thanks for the blessing. Hope you've had a lovely Christmas day.

Amrita said...

Merry Christmas GQ

Arkansas Patti said...

Beautifully written with a solid message. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully written... I have always believed in the word 'resurrection'. Like they say, everything happens for the best. Just that we get so caught up in the nitty gritties that sometimes we don't see it.
Hope you had a lovely Christmas GQ.

Cheers
Choco

Anita Jeyan said...

That was a personal prayer, GQ. A sweet little prayer. I am sure God read it and started loving u more than he used to !

Frank Baron said...

Nicely done, GQ. His is indeed an amazing story.

All the best to you and yours as the wheel spins into another year.

Snowbrush said...

I don't miss such prayers. I prayed them for years, always wanting, not just other people's word that God was there, but my own experience that God was there.

Dianne said...

being quiet
listening
two blessings we all need to appreciate
beautiful writing my dear friend

hugs from me and Hope

Destiny's child... said...

Thanks for that lovely post. It reminded me that I have not had a meaningful one on one with God over the last few weeks.

Wishing you a very happy and fulfilling New Year! :)

AngelMc said...

Merry Belated Christmas dear friend and Happy New Year.

Hilary said...

Very nicely written, GQ. Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year.

Shrinky said...

This is so beautifully written, GQ. I hope 2012 is opening well for you and yours, and will prove to be filled with only love, peace, health and joy.

Abhyudaya said...

That was very well written sir. Merry Christmas! (belated)

Anonymous said...

I appreciated your honest reflections GQ....yes, sometimes the Christmas holiday in our culture is just so crazy busy that it's so easy to just totally miss the whole meaning of his coming...but maybe that was part of it...very few even cared or were looking for his coming. That's why I love leaving my tree up for awhile and just enjoying the tree lit in the corner...and thinking of the things that a few weeks earlier I seemed too busy to fully be able to appreciate...Happy New Year GQ-

Sandra said...

I'm pretty late reading this, but that doesn't make it any less inspiring. Very touching. Thank you.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

Finally I have the time to read and this piece is timeless though well timed. Thanks for the soft whisper. Precious.