It's in the whisper.....

This is something that I shared with my MOPS group this morning. I meant it to be a small encouragement for the moms there, but it has grown into a little more.....and a challenge from our MOPS mentor to blog it (with promises of links to other blogs????) Anyway, it all started out early, early this morning as I read my friend's blog: http://auseese.blogspot.com/. Her blog was about how it is her birthday today and how disappointing birthdays can become as we grow older. I really related to that, because I have disliked my birthday for a long time. My birthday comes in January also, and I like to blame it on winter doldrums, but it is more likely because my sweet 16th birthday came a little over two months after my mom's sudden death. That kind of took the sweet out of the celebration.

Now here's where my mind goes.....BIG days equal BIG expectations, right? As moms, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make those wonderful days for our families. But let's be realistic.....who actually feels romantic ON Valentine's Day? Which one of us feels like Super Mom on Mother's Day? And how many Christmas days have been soured by the flu or other unexpected incidents?

Here's the message: Let's start looking for God in the small things. I have been challenged in these past years to stop putting so much pressure on the BIG days and BIG things, and start being more grateful for the small things. I don't think that God speaks to us in the big things most of the time. I think we need a change in perspective to truly enjoy the life we've been given. So I thought of some small things that I have been thankful for, small things in which God has spoken to me:

1. Beautiful sunrises/sunsets
2. a spontaneous "thank you" from any member of my immediate family
3. an "accident-free" day from my newly potty trained toddler
4. an encouraging phone call from a friend

Here's a Bible verse that my MOPS mentor shared to complement my thoughts:

"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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here Elijah?"
-1 Kings 19:11-13

What are your "whispers?"