Sunday Afternoon Tea

"...But the LORD was not in the wind; 

and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 

and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; 

and after the fire a still small voice."  

I Kings 19: 11;12 

There is so much Truth in this Scripture, I thought of it off and on all week.  The context amazes me as Elijah has just come away from performing one of the most remarkable miracles in the Old Testament but the result was not celebrating the miraculous works of God.

Instead, he went into a deep depression, hid in a cave, and told God that he was the only one left who believed in Him.  In this same chapter, God tells him he has "7,000 in Israel", he is not alone.  It is in this chapter that Elijah is sent to anoint Elisha whom he will "mentor" (as we call it today) and eventually will inherit the ministry of Elijah.

There is so much to ponder and learn about the Truth of God in this one chapter but what I love the most... God was not found in the earthquake or the tornado (wind) or the fire.  While Elijah had to assume the Creator of the Universe was in these three events (and had to wonder if he was about to be consumed by it all!)... it was in the quiet He heard the most Powerful Force... in the stillness.

I must admit there are seasons in life when I am walking in the midst of the wind and the fire.  The foundation of my life feels as if it were falling apart and the earth is shaking.  I have searched for God in the midst of chaos, only to find him as I lit a scented candle, brewed a pot of tea in my small teapot, and opened His greatest gift... His Word.

I have heard from Him in the most obscure sections of Scripture but there is a favorite.  How often have I found myself immersed in the Psalms?  When I open my Bible, that is where it automatically opens.  :)

The world in which we find ourselves living is full of chaos and uncertainty.  The very foundations are fragile and cracking.  Each morning many of us awake to the whirlwind and feel the flames of the fiery trials.  But we are not to keep our eyes upon them for they are but the affects of the age in which we live.

We must never think we are being selfish when we tell family and friends we need time for ourselves to get alone, in whatever form that takes for us.  Each individual has their own way of finding that still small place... a coffee shop in the morning, a hot bubble bath when the children are sleeping, time in the garden pulling weeds or resting in a swing by the roses, on a boat or sitting at the edge of the ocean (or lake) with our toes in the sand, or hiking through the trails in the woods.

We all can have a special place even if it is a corner of the sofa or an overstuffed chair but we must realize this time is essential... we are a withered vine when we stay away from the Branch... for He is truly found in that still small space in our life.

If one of the greatest prophets who ever lived can find himself hiding in fear until he heard the voice of God, how much more we who are mere mortals walking the path He has set before us need to run from the chaos and find the Quiet... and His Strength to meet the day.