Listening to Rumbles....

I am an action girl. I tend to be quick to think and even more quick to move. I love adventure.  Few things frustrate me more than well-meaning people, sitting around discussing their passions, the injustices of the world, while doing nothing about it. I form conclusions quickly and, if not careful, can think critically of those that spend years and years preparing to act.  I’m just being honest.  Even more humorous is the fact that God must have thought it would be interesting to match me with a gifted strategic planner. You know, get the facts, line them up, decide on a direction and THEN move. To me, that’s EXHAUSTING!

But to everything there is a season and there is a season for everything.  EVERYTHING…. Even waiting. This is where He has me. With clear direction to watch and wait.

            Habakkuk 2:1 “I will climb my watchtower now, and wait to see what answer God will give to my complaint.”

            Psalm 37:7 “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.”

So what’s a girl to do in that watch tower place? Imagine someone with ADHD confined to a tree stand for weeks on end and you will understand what I am getting at. I have been doing lots of reading, lots of listening.  A ridiculous amount of singing.  Praying all the time. Asking for clear direction. Changing sitting/ kneeling positions and then doing it all over again. Picture it yet? Doesn’t appear to involve much action.

But the same God who made me, knows me. He knows the waiting is good for me. He knows being still is doing a work. He also delights in conversations with me. He has pulled up a chair next to mine and is singing with me. And sometimes, like this morning, He whispers.

            “Do you hear it? Shhh… listen. Stop moving….listen.  It’s faint right now, but it’s there. The rumble. Do you hear it? Shhh…listen.”

That was it.

A rumble. That’s kind of strange. In a tower, listening for a rumble. Then it hit me.

What am I waiting for? What am I asking for? I want to win! I want Him to WIN! I want TRUTH to prevail. I want to walk out of this with clear direction…knowing that He spoke, we heard and we obeyed. I want ACTION. I want to be RESCUED. And with all my heart, I know that it’s coming.  A VICTORY!!

But what come before that? Before a victory there is always a fight. Something is contended for. There is a measuring of one against another.  There is a scuffle. A raucous….a noise. A rumble.

God often took His people into battle. He devised the most creative ways for them to win. Marching around cities with trumpets, stepping into water to escape the enemy, or dipping seven times into a dirty river to experience healing. Fearful warriors taking small troops into battle with only ram’s horns and broken clay pots. Battle plans that made them feel silly. Made them feel powerless….misunderstood.

One thing I am sure of.  Battles produce a sound. Whether earthly or heavenly, there is noise. Clashing of weapons, wrestling to defend.  Footsteps in motion. Calls to action. Cries of the wounded. Conflict.

Battles are tiring. There is no rest in the middle of one. We long for an end. We yearn for peace. Stillness. Quiet. We tend to associate quiet and calm as good things, and they can be. We try to structure our homes and lives to be predictable, chaos free and smoothly run. All good things, if they don’t keep us from being part of the battle.

But VICTORY has a noise as well. Sit through a high school football game on a Friday night if you aren’t sure what I mean. Hear the cheers on the sidelines when the Cinderella team does the unimaginable.

This morning I heard the rumbling of horse’s hooves. Thundering towards me carrying the messenger with the news of the battle won. A rumble. It’s faint. Since I don’t know how far it’s coming from, I don’t know how soon it will be here.

Not only have I not been left alone in my watchtower, He has also given me something to do. I've been given permission to listen to the rumble.

I dare you. Try it.

Shhhh…quiet.

Do you hear it?

It’s ok. I know, the tower is shaking, isn’t it? Don’t panic. It’s a good sound.

A victory messenger is on its way.