Life presents us with many turning points. Some are big moments, brimming with life-changing importance, such as your wedding, the death of a loved one, or the birth of a child or grandchild.
But there are also quieter moments, like a whisper. For example, after confronting King Ahab about leading Israel into idol worship, after surviving by being fed by ravens, after calling down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel—after all those big moments—Elijah fled from Queen Jezebel. Then, God called him to a meeting on another mountain:
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
~ 1 Kings 19:11-13, NLT
I don’t know about you, but if I heard that whisper, I would do some quick thinking—not only about what I was doing there, but what I was doing next. Or rather, what He wanted me to do next.
There have been times in life I knew the Lord was speaking to me. The right thing to say when the Lord speaks is always, “Yes, Lord.” Sadly, a few times I pretended not to hear or said, “I don’t think you understand my situation, Lord.”
But one Sunday, I was sitting in church when the preacher pitched a program for reading through the Bible in one year. Anticipating opposition, he held up a worn, pocket-sized Bible in one hand.
“I carry this everywhere,” he said. “Last week I read while waiting in a long line at the post office.” He described a conversation he’d had about 1 John with a woman waiting in the same line.
The pastor encouraged the pewsters to sign up for the read-through, not only for this year, but every year the rest of their lives. “It’s not hard. If you think you can’t read three to five chapters each day, let me ask how many read the newspaper every day?” His voice grew quiet. “How many novels have you read this year?”
As an avid reader and writer, that question reverberated like a thunder clash. I signed up that year—and every year thereafter. I think I was forty-one at that point. I’m now ¼ (ahem) a woman of a certain age. I’ve read through the Bible over thirty times. I love reading quickly, seeing the panorama of time from Genesis to Revelation each year. I also enjoy pausing to dig deeper into a passage.
I mentioned ignoring or refusing the voice. But that day, the Lord was kind enough to underline the pastor’s question in a way that helped me understand that God was speaking to me. After I responded, “Yes, Lord,” He has continued to speak to me in countless gentle whispers.
I used to think people were lying or crazy if they said God spoke to them. But no longer. I do think if I hadn’t said “yes” that day, there might still be radio silence between God and me.
I don’t want that, so I make a conscious effort to tune in each day.
It’s hard to hear a whisper when the TV is blasting, so I retreat to quiet spaces. When I’m reading the Bible, the written word speaks, and I like to make notes on our discussion. Another quiet time is when I’m wakeful at night. Sometimes I turn on a reading lamp and read a passage of Scripture. Other times, I pray and listen as I lie awake in the dark.
About what? I pray for my husband, children, and grandchildren. Friends with troubles, friends with joys. I thank the Lord for blessing upon blessing in our lives. I mention my worries and desires. It’s amazing when God answers, sometimes surrounding me with peace, other times reminding me of a verse. After a long silence, I gave up on a desire to publish a book with a traditional publisher. “I won’t be troubling You with this request anymore, Lord. I give up. I’m going to stop writing and give more attention to quilting and ukulele plunking.”
The next day I received a text from a stranger, which resulted in publication for my debut novel, Rain, with Mountain Brook Ink.
That day, the Lord’s whisper came to me loud and clear. Not quite yet, Dana.
Dana McNeely dreamed of living in a world teeming with adventure, danger, and romance, but she had a problem—she also needed a lot of peace and quiet. She learned to visit that dream world by stepping into a book. Better yet, hundreds of books. Soon, she began writing her own stories, fact and fiction.
Inspired by the Bible stories of Elijah, Dana wondered why the prophet came to stay with the widow of Zarephath and her son. Who were they? What was their life, before? How did the boy change after he died, saw the other world—and came back?
Those questions led to Dana writing Rain, in which she built her dream world of adventure, danger, and romance. Peace and quiet, however, have remained elusive.
No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies.
Her novel Rain spins the tale of a mysterious prophet, a desperate youth, and a relentless queen. Her second novel, Whirlwind, releases December 6, 2022. Sign up for Dana’s newsletter to get her book updates, garden exploits, butterfly effusions, and writerly fiascos.
Miralee Ferrell