By: Allison O’Connor
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-12
Recently we were blessed to have our friends from Grace In Community Church from Alden, NY serving with us at Hope of Life. It was their first time serving with us and learning about the ministry. Being able to share the experiences and stories that make this place special was exciting! Our family enjoyed working with them all week, helping them throughout their trip. I was excited to be able to go on their first baby rescue, and we were able to bring back two very sick children to the hospital at Hope of Life. While this was a highlight of the week for me, I actually was most blessed by our time together the night before they flew back to the states.
After a delicious pizza dinner at a little Guatemalan restaurant in Llano Verde, we invited the team to our house for dessert. We had asked Pastor Mark to lead devotions for our family. We were so thankful when he immediately said that he had something he wanted to share with us before they left. He opened his Bible and began to read to us the story of the Prophet Elijah in 1 Kings. Elijah had been a faithful servant, but he was feeling discouraged and afraid. He needed to hear from the Lord. God told Elijah that His presence would come. God’s voice was not heard in the huge and mighty winds, the earthquake that tore apart the Earth before his eyes, or in the fire that swept over the mountain. The voice of the Lord came to Elijah in a gentle whisper.
Pastor Mark then posed a question that I will not soon forget: What do you do when you hear a gentle whisper?
“We listen. We stop. We lean in to make sure we hear it”
The words, “We lean in” have stuck with me. I want to hear the voice of God encourage my heart. I want to hear the gentle whisper of God give me wisdom and peace.
At Hope of Life, there is always so many amazing things happening before our eyes. Projects, building, growth, people, churches, transformation that never stops because God is behind this ministry. In the midst of all of this, it is easy to focus on the things constantly happening and become so busy that it’s hard to hear the Lord speaking. When I was challenged to “Lean in”, pause, come closer to the heart of God and listen carefully for His voice, that was exactly the encouragement I needed.
While I will always look for God working in the big things here at Hope of Life, I am so thankful for the reminder that God will speak. God is also found in the small things, and I never want to miss His gentle whisper that will be faithful to lead and guide me.
Pastor Mark and Sherrie Sterlace from Grace In Community Church in Alden, NY