Gentle Whispers

Jul 29 / Chelsea Yoshihara

What are you desperate for God to do in your life?

How do you know when God is speaking to you?

What does God's voice sound like to you?

These are questions I consider for myself and as a spiritual director. I take comfort in the fact that people have wrestled with such longings since the beginning of time.

There’s a fascinating Bible story about the prophet Elijah, who's in so much inner turmoil that he asks God to let him die. I imagine him begging God, "Where are you?" "Why aren't you helping me?" "I need you!" He is at the very end of himself. Elijah finally meets God on the same mountain where his ancestor Moses met God many years before. Elijah expects the same burning bush, yet he gets something totally different. God allows him to experience a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire on the mountain, but God doesn't speak through any of those. Instead, "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 to the cave. And a voice said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'"

How often do we want God to interrupt our lives with an epic miracle? I know I do. I'd love to see a metaphorical earthquake produce the desires of my heart. Yet, God shows Elijah (and us) that He prefers to speak in a gentle whisper. I wonder how long God had been gently whispering to Elijah. Elijah was so focused on God showing up in a radical way, but God came quietly, tenderly, blink-and-you-miss-it-ly.

Gentle whispers are not the way I expect God to speak, but often, that's how He does. I've noticed that the more I pay attention to gentle whispers, the more I sense God's guidance and love. I want to invite you into one such whisper in my own life.

A few months ago, my husband and I were driving to his half marathon, and God interrupted the quiet of the car to speak to me. I was full of mixed emotions. Excitement for Tim, nostalgia for myself, sadness about some current realities, gratitude for God’s healing, stress about the time, and a dose of guilt that so many of my thoughts were geared toward myself.

As much as I tried to dodge them, my emotions kept making noise, urging me to pay attention. When I finally surrendered to being "caught," the biggest and truest feeling spoke above the rest, and it came out as a question to God.

“God, when will it be our turn to be parents?” The weariness surprised me. I hadn’t realized this desire was fueling so much of my internal struggle on this car ride, and it didn’t make sense to me. “What does this have to do with Tim running the half marathon?” I wondered.

I stared out the window and pondered everything happening in my soul. After a moment, what I can only describe as a solid truth entered my mind. While thoughts had bounced in and out like they were written in small script, this one came boldly and firmly. While others felt like they might float away, this one stayed rooted. “I was with you then, and I’m with you now.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. "Of course," I thought. Of course, God was with me then. Of course, He's with me now. It all made sense to me after I heard the gentle whisper. I ran this same race six years before in the middle of intense Lyme treatment. I was unsure if I'd be able to, but I decided to try anyway. It was a seminal moment. A year later, I ran again, miraculously Lyme-free and dating Tim. It was a celebratory moment. Fast forward to today, and I was getting ready to watch him race. I was out of the hard season of Lyme, but praying new prayers for new desires.

Through those simple words, God showed me that He was with me six years before when I didn't know if I'd be healed physically, and He's with me in the life circumstances I'm walking through now. What I didn't get in this car ride was an answer to my original question, but I did get God's presence. The truth that God is always with me filled me with peace.

Just like God showed up as “the sound of a gentle whisper” to the prophet Elijah hundreds of years ago, He showed up to me in the same way. I’m struck that when Elijah did hear God's whisper, he moved toward it. He walked to the cave's edge and waited for God to speak. Elijah was drawn in and curious to know more. Maybe that's the way God designed it. What Elijah wants is immediate deliverance. What God offers him is an invitation to relationship and trust.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, try noticing what you're feeling and sitting with it. Invite silence and wait. God's still in the business of gently whispering truth, love, and help to us. I believe He wants to do the same for you, too.

Chelsea Yoshihara
Is a spiritual director in Spokane, WA. An avid question-asker and inherently curious person, she enjoys helping people notice and respond to the Spirit’s promptings. She is passionate about helping God come alive to people through spiritual direction, speaking engagements, and writing.

Chelsea has a BA in Education with an emphasis in Literacy from Eastern Washington University and a Certificate of Spiritual Direction through the Companioning Center. Both teaching and spiritual formation guide her work.

Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband, Tim, and their dog, Sasha. She likes being in nature, reading, sitting on her back patio, and laughing with loved ones.

You can connect with her at https://www.goodshepherdspiritualcare.com/