In the Silence

Hosea 2:14-15

Therefore, behold, I will allure her (Israel) and bring her into the wilderness, 

and I will speak tenderly and to her heart.  

There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor (troubling) to be for her a door of hope and expectation.  And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt.  

Life is weird.  I get that God doesn't think it's weird, but honestly, I do.  It will be nice when we get to heaven and see how all the pieces fit together, but for now we hold each piece and treat it as an invaluable part of the whole puzzle.  Even when it doesn't look like it fits ANYWHERE.

The thing that helps me the most with this puzzling life is to hear from God.  That settles my heart.

So....what if God is silent.  What if God seems to be sharing grand things with "everyone else", but with you it seems...silent.  What then?

My "what then" looks like this right now - - -

First, right now - He wants me to hear His heartbeat.  I know.  Weird.

If I was better at selfies, I'd take a picture of my head on Dennis' chest.  A silent hug.  An embrace of home and comfort and hope and no words.  There have been many of these during the last few weeks particularly.  Sometime there just aren't words for the pain that has been happening around us in this season.  So, first and foremost God just seems to be wanting to be so close that I hear His heartbeat.

Then - the honor of "hearing Him" through the words of other people.  People who pray, who love, who encourage, who stay, who share.  And you know what?  It doesn't always come from who/where you expect it to come from.

I'm amazed and grateful for simple, revealing, revolutionary words spoken into our lives with no fanfare, but great eternal impact.  Thank you.  Thank you for praying.  Thank you for being obedient. Thank you.

I was reading Hosea and came to chapter 2:14-15 and...I felt like God was speaking.  The Valley of Achor (troubling) will be for her a door of hope and expectation.  That's good stuff.  She shall sing there?  Awesome.  And respond as in the days of her youth.   When I was young and learning to sing in the presence of God - that was my very safest place to be.  It.still.is.

I pray you hear Him speak tenderly to your heart.  I pray you hear His heartbeat (not rejection) in the silent times.  I pray you receive words and kindness that He sends through people.

I pray that we CHOOSE that the Valley of Achor, the Valley of Trouble, will be for us a door of hope and expectation - and a great place to sing!

Blessings...