| O Shenandoah! By Faith Alone |
| Widely varied in size and structure, picturesque houses of worship cling throughout generations to the Valley's hills and hollers. There's an echo of faith in everyday conversation and an ancient devotion steels Shenandoah residents in courage, humor and grace as they struggle with weather-related and man-made catastrophes. |
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"That Still, Small Voice"
By Eunice Soper The sky was brightening in the east. Gradually a bit of light was stealing over the landscape. At first only a few bird voices were heard -- sleepy little chirpings, as if their owners could easily tuck their heads back under their wings and go to sleep again. Soon voice after voice joined the song, stronger and stronger, until it seemed that each bird in the neighborhood was trying to outsing all the others. Then through the babble of song a certain sound came through to my sleep-fogged brain. Just a five-note, two-toned call -- "Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody." "Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody," repeated over and over, rather shyly and uncertainly, as if Poor Sam were not quite sure he was welcome. But he was! Every spring we listen for the voice of the first little white-throated sparrow, one of the loveliest of the sparrow family, as he comes to spend the summer in the woods near our home. Why, out of all that welter of song did that little five-note melody stand out? Because I was listening for it. My ears were tuned to it. I was waiting for it. It was not a loud, insistent sound. It was soft, subdued, but it was a familiar voice, and a welcome one. So it is with the voice of God through our consciences. If we listen for His voice, we will hear it when it comes. He will not speak in the roll of thunder, or in the flash of fire, but in a "still small voice." Elijah found this to be true while he waited on the mountainside for God to speak to him. So it was with Samuel. If he had not been listening he might have missed that low call of "Samuel, Samuel!" He would then have missed the greatest experience of his life. If we want God to speak to us, we must have our ears tuned to His call. We must be waiting for Him to speak. We must give that "still small voice" a chance to speak to our hearts.
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"After the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:
and after the fire a still small voice."
1 Kings 19:12.
| Eunice Soper has written many devotional books, mostly for children. Semi-retired from professional service worldwide for the Seventh Day Adventist Church, she and her husband, Francis, radiate peace, strength and practical good-heartedness from their adopted home in the central Shenandoah Valley. |