Jesus went up to the mountain and
he spent the night in prayer with God.
Luke 6:12
As my husband and I walked along a nearby trail, Mike interrupted the quiet by yelling, “Look at that deer!” Not ten feet away, an amazingly agile buck leapt over fallen trees and browning shrubs. He stopped just a second to look back at us and then continued on his way. When poor Mike looked back at me, he couldn’t figure out why I was responding to this amazing sight with tears. I had to explain that these were tears of joy because that deer was truly an answer to my prayer…
When Mike and I set out for our walk that day, we talked about our kids and grandkids, how we’re all surviving this pandemic and what was next on our stay-at-home agenda. Afterward, we each settled into our own quiet. I admit to talking God’s ear off that morning. I’d been clumsily voicing a concern which is near and dear to me. Just before we encountered that deer, I’d told our patient God that I know that I’m always heard, but that, this time, I needed a little sign. “I haven’t seen a deer in a while,” I dared to say. It was seconds afterward that the buck ran past Mike and me.
When I share my thoughts and worries with God, I know God understands. Though I’ve never heard a word spoken from God’s lips, I have received God’s response in the quiet of the moment, in an unexpected remark from someone nearby or in a suddenly remembered line from a favorite book or hymn. Sometimes, God speaks in the autumn breeze and sometimes God speaks through a galloping buck. Trust me. When we pray and even when we don’t, God finds a way to reach out to us. It’s up to us to take notice.
Good and generous God, let’s talk every day. When I forget, nudge me into conversation as only you can.
©2020 Mary Penich – All Rights Reserved