And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
1 Kings 19:11-12 ESV
This year marks my 31st year in public education. I am at the point of deciding whether to go 32 or call it a day. As of this evening, one more year seems to be front runner. However, these past three weeks have made that choice not quite so exciting. Parent concerns, student challenges, procedural changes, etc. have all come together to form an energy-draining vortex.
I had begun to attribute these challenging episodes as God's way of telling me to wrap it up this year. But as I prayed more about my decision, he brought today's verse to mind. And I realized I was reading too much into this past set of professional challenges.
As a father, if Seth came to me needing advice and direction on a life-changing decision, I would not engineer crises, create confusion, and cause pain in order to help him make up his mind. We would sit down and talk, discuss pros and cons, weigh options, and drink pots of coffee. If the decision was not readily apparent after one conversation, we would schedule others until the choice was clear.
Does God use fire and earthquakes to help direct his people? I believe at times he does, but I also believe that is most often a last resort. Jonah became fish food because he ignored the express direction of God. The big fish was not God's first choice of communication. It is most often in God's "low whisper" where we will find our peace, comfort, and guidance. Let's not let the earthquakes and fires distract us from His still, small voice.
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