Let Me Hear Your Voice

Earlier this week, I took a night off to step away from my usual routine and spend a few quiet hours alone. Even though that was in character for me, it was actually a homework assignment from the Convene business group that I am a part of. A month ago, we had reviewed some content together

regarding self-care, and one of the takeaways was that folks need to occasionally step away from their normal distractions and take time to reflect. That was our challenge, but it was loosely framed, allowing the group to explore what worked for each of us. Often, when I think about being alone for a few hours, I gravitate towards the beach or some other scenic place to walk because nature and the outdoors have a calming influence on me. Yet, for a variety of reasons, I wanted to be indoors that night and I ended up at a nearby mall. That may sound strange, but I truly enjoy the comfortable anonymity of public spaces so long as they offer a comfortable place to sit. And other than just showing up to reflect I didn’t really have an agenda.

For how empty the mall was on a Monday night, there turned out to be a surprising amount of ambient noise; people talking, music playing, pots and pans banging somewhere in a nearby restaurant. All of that got me thinking about how many distractions we are bombarded by in the course of our daily lives. I also reflected on how the quiet voice of God is so easily drowned out by all the other things clamoring for our attention. It occurred to me that perhaps the secret to connecting with God might not be hiking to a mountain top or cloistering ourselves in a monastery. Maybe we just need to be better at filtering the distractions in order to concentrate on listening to Him … wherever we are. Why force the God of the universe to meet us only in the rare quiet corners of our lives which are so difficult to carve out. Sometimes I feel like we relegate our time with Jesus to the equivalent of Maxwell Smart’s proverbial cone of silence. No, God is everywhere, so we need to develop ways to focus on Him wherever we are. I actually like the white noise of life, and sometimes find myself more distracted by a single soft sound that can barely be heard. Either way, my experiment in public solitude was a success and I was able to reflect, pray and even write a little poetry, which is how I often respond to emotional and spiritual moments.

So I offer the follow poem, which I wrote during the aforementioned evening. Poetry is how I work things out. Rhyme and meter help me to make sense of complicated issues and then capture how I really feel. Others will respond in different ways. When we want to be alone, we all gravitate to various sorts of places and respond to different stimuli, or the lack thereof. Your experience would likely look completely different than mine. Yet, I would challenge you to block out a few hours and go someplace, anyplace, to be alone for a while. It can be anyplace that allows you to disconnect and give your mind the opportunity to wander. There is something in us that responds to moments of peace, and I believe there is great value in just pausing to listen. We can listen to ourselves, to the wind in the trees or the surf upon the shore, to city noises or the soft whispering of a garden. In those moments I also listen for God to whisper something as well. He rarely speaks audibly, but His quiet voice can still be heard throughout creation. One thing is for sure. If you want to hear something, anything, the first step is to listen. And sometimes that requires a little effort. You’ve heard about my experiment. I encourage you to try one of your own. At the very least you can relax a little … but you never know what might happen.

Let Me Hear Your Voice

Oh Lord, let me hear your voice

In the midst of everything

Part the seas of distraction

Which are always clamoring

Let your peace descend on me

When it seems that there is none

May my eyes pierce through the haze

To alight upon your Son

Show me how to walk the path

When so many others call

To filter the cacophony

To hear your voice, still and small

Lord, show me how to trust you

When doubt and fear are sown

Even where I least expect it

May I be yours and yours alone

When this world would woo me

May my heart and mind be true

For I know you are a jealous God

And I would serve none but You

A thousand other voices beckon

They whisper, laugh and tease and sing

But let me hear your voice, oh Lord

In the midst of everything

By Frank Carpenter ©

The Call of God

Today I’d like to share a poem which I actually employed here once before, way back in 2004. But I came across a quote this week that re-framed the context of it for me. One of the things I enjoy about my poetry, and the written word in general, it that it has a long shelf life and God continually finds new uses for it. I had picked up the book “Wild at Heart” once again and opened to a page containing the following quote from Oswald Chambers:

“There comes the baffling call of God in our lives also. The call of God can never be stated explicitly, it is implicit. The call of God is like the call of the sea; no one hears it but the one who has the nature of the sea in him. It cannot be stated definitely what the call of God is to, because his call is to be in comradeship with himself for his own purposes, and the test is to believe that God knows what He is after.”

As my readers may know I have a clear affinity for the sea, or as Chambers so eloquently put it, “the nature of the sea” in me. So this quote speaks directly to my heart. I’m also reminded that we have a creative God who speaks to each man in a still small voice that is personalized to that man’s heart. In my case, God used the sea. But He might just as well speak to the engineer in practical terms, to the geologist through the physical world, or to the astronomer through the skies. Whoever we are, wherever we are, whatever we are going through, God speaks to us in a voice that our heart will best understand. Bible translators are committed to their work because they understand that God may speak most effectively to people in their native tongue. And God knows every language, not only the written and verbal languages of men, but the unwritten languages of the human heart as well. So if you seek to hear God listen to him in your unique areas of passion and openness. Most importantly though, listen for God and be open to His call. He is almost never silent. The problem is that we are far too often deaf.

So now I shall return to my own example. There was a time when I didn’t even believe there was a God. However, it was clear to me that something was going on because I understood that some of the people who professed to believe in him were different than other people I knew. So I sought them out. Yet, God understood that the only way to get through to me was to speak to me in the language of my heart. I have always loved the ocean and God wisely engaged that passion in order to engage me. The below poem explains to true story of my conversion and the creative and personal way in which God eventually got through to me.

I still try to be open to God’s calling, especially in this current season of my life. My question for each of you today is, “How is God speaking to you?” We need to continue listening for His voice, not merely with our ears, but with our hearts as well.

Out of the Depths
I feel so very small sometimes
when I look upon the sea
Imagining its vast expanse
its awesome power and majesty
The sea was my one first true love
and the thing that I adored
The wonder of it pierced my heart
and brought me to my Lord
For I would not believe in God
or trust that He could be
However those who claimed I should
sought to prevail upon me
Their arguments were well rehearsed
and true enough, I deemed
But I required something more
I lacked the key it seemed
Yet, God called upon His advocate
the mighty sea I loved so dear
Which softened up my heart in time
and sought to draw me near
How many times He called to me
as I sat upon the land
In a thundering voice I could not hear
but longed to understand
Countless nights I sat alone
and gazed across the sea
So unaware that every wave
was God's own call to me
Yet God wore down my disbelief
as ocean waves might do
And brought me to the moment when
my life-long search was through
He piloted my restless soul
to quiet waters and a quay
Where He came aboard my empty heart
and promised He would stay
And now, all these year later
I pause to look out on the swells
And thank God for the choice He brought me to
for it has served me well
I thank Him for the beauty
and the power of the sea
From which He chose to reach out
and take hold of such as me
May I ever gaze upon it and
in so doing, see His face
Rediscovering His majesty
and the wonder of His grace
        By Frank Carpenter ©

Just Where You Are

Today I’m reaching out to those who may be hurting or in distress. Life can be difficult sometimes. Whether we are in the midst of the big life-threatening or life-changing trials, or simply overwhelmed by the stress of the day or situation, the feelings can be much the same. Sometimes life just seems like everything is going wrong and we have no place to turn. To that I say that we absolutely have someplace to turn. God. There is a God who cares about you and understands all that you are going through. Even if it feels like He’s a million miles away, He’s actually right beside you. Do you feel like it’s been too long since you’ve prayed or gone to church? It hasn’t. Are you in a bad place in your life and you’re afraid to be honest with God? You needn’t be. The amazing thing is that whoever we are, wherever we are, whatever we’ve gone through … God meets us right where we are. He is a friend to the brokenhearted and loves you more than you could know. So if you’re lonely or sad or tired, disappointed, discouraged, or hard of heart just close your eyes and open your mouth and ask God to meet you right where you are. It doesn’t take an eloquent prayer to get God’s attention. It just takes and honest one. Whatever you’re facing in life, you don’t have to face it alone. Give God a chance to give you a second chance. The next move is yours.

Just Where You Are
Maybe your heart is broken
Or the darkness is closing in
Perhaps you are overwhelmed by pain
Or your faith is wearing thin
Wherever you may be in life
Whatever you’re going through
God stoops to meet you where you are
And He’s reaching out to you
Let Him wrap His arms around you
And draw you into His care
For wherever you may find yourself
Your God will meet you there
By Frank Carpenter ©

The Voice of God

I was visiting an unfamiliar church a few months ago. It was a different denomination than I’m accustomed to, with different traditions and surroundings. Now, that could cause a person to be distracted or judgmental, but I approached that particular Sunday morning with an open mind and an open heart … and I was rewarded for it. Since I wasn’t as engaged in the liturgy of the service it actually offered a fresh perspective on Sunday mornings. The songs, the surroundings and the style of worship varied from what I usually respond to, but the message was essentially the same. And that got me thinking about how God communicates to each person, or groups of people, in unique ways because we all respond to different stimuli. That’s the amazing thing about God and His word. He speaks across language, cultural, and geographic barriers. In fact, God has reached out to the whole world through the course of history. This reminded me of the opening verses of Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” In fact, God is speaking to us all the time. He does so through the bible, the creation, through a thousand large and small things which point to an intelligent designer. Most people consider God’s word to be written monologue, a long and sometimes tedious monologue. However, God’s word is a symphony. It certainly and most importantly is His written and holy word in the form of the bible. But these words are accompanied by mountains, the ocean, the animals and trees, the feel of the wind and the fury of the weather. God speaks volumes through his love for us and the resulting love we show one another. He whispers through the miraculous intricacy of our own bodies and the artistic simplicity of a tiny flower. God makes Himself known through all five of our senses. I see and hear Him, or at least His creative reflection, everywhere I go.

Now, some of you will read these words and respond with, “yes, I get it.” Maybe you’ll become more aware of God’s presence throughout our lives. I hope so. However, you may not see God in anything I’ve written about here. In fact, you may not even believe there is a God. That is certainly your right, because you have a free will. Yet, I encourage you to look around for a few moments and tell me that life doesn’t smack of the miraculous. It seems impossible for me to think otherwise, but you be the judge. If you don’t agree with me just think back over these words from time to time and consider whether or not there is a God, and whether or not He is speaking to you in a unique way. That’s all I ask.

For those of you who do agree with me that there is a God, one who actively communicates and interacts with us, there is something else to consider. Another thought that came to me as I sat in that unfamiliar church a while back was that if we hear God’s voice what does it mean to us? What should we do about it? That reminded me of a verse in the middle of Psalm 95 that reads in part, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts …” I felt like God was encouraging me not only to listen, but to respond. We can go to church, read the bible, pray, sing, or whatever, but if doesn’t affect us-if we don’t actually change-what’s the point. We mustn’t “harden our hearts.” That’s huge. You see, God wants us to respond to His words with our hearts and our lives. He wants to change us, and use us to change the world.

So whether you’re at church, or work, or home definitely read God’s written word as much and whenever you can. But I also challenge to you open your eyes and ears to the rest of the symphony God is playing for you, the symphony He has been performing since the beginning of time. My hope and prayer is that you may hear God’s voice, His whole voice. And when you do, don’t harden your heart. Open your heart … and let the adventure begin.

The Voice of God
The almighty God of heaven
Speaks to us throughout each day
He is revealed through His inspired word
He communes with those who pray
He proclaims himself in creation
And the mighty works He has done
Through the wondrous miracles of old
And salvation through His Son
Awesome God booms in the thunder
And lightening that shakes the earth
He proclaimed His love in sacrifice
On the night of the Savior’s birth
He spoke through the prophets and patriarchs
Whose words bring the wisdom of old
Through the apostles and saints as well
Came the words more precious than gold
The God of all the creation
Shouts in the tempest and gale
In the roar of the mightiest creature
In the song of the least and the frail
Each one of us upon the earth
Hears the Lord of Hosts proclaim
His love, His power, and majesty
And the wonder of His name
The voice of the Lord is ringing
Throughout the earth and beyond
And we who hear must choose each day
Will we harden our hearts … or respond?
Frank Carpenter ©