Love

Do you know what my favorite sound is? No, it's not the opening notes of Vivaldi's Four Seasons or even the crackling noise of bacon in the frying pan (although that is a very good sound). It's not even the sound of the wind rustling the trees (and we had plenty of that last weekend here in Louisville) or the sound of our church bells ringing calling us to prayer (also a wonderful sound). I decided last Saturday that my favorite sound in the whole world is the sound of my mom's voice when I call her on the telephone. She usually lets the answering machine screen her calls, but last weekend she answered the phone right before the answering maching picked up. When I said hello, she said "Hiiii" in the warmest, most welcoming tone of voice -- like I was the most important person in the world and the one to whom she wanted to speak most at that moment. It made me feel very good -- all warm and fuzzy inside, like she had somehow sent a hug through thousands of miles of telephone cables right to me.
As I pondered this throughout the week, I thought that God would probably speak to us that way, if only we could hear God's voice in the same way we can hear the voices of our loved ones here on earth. Can't you just hear God saying, "I love you so much and I just can't wait to just sit and talk to you. I have been waiting for you to call me and I am so glad that you did."? Since most of us cannot hear God speaking plainly in words that we can understand, God relies on other means.
This past week has been one of hardship for many of the people here in Louisville. Winds from Hurricane Ike came through here on Sunday and broke trees as if they were match sticks and twisted electrical wires into knots. The public schools were not in session all week due to the lack of power and the impassable conditions of some of the streets. Some homes and businesses continue to be without power and some of the homes in Southern Indiana across the river from Louisville have been without power and water because the water companies rely on electricity to pump the water into the towns for use. People have handled this situation remarkably well, and a lot of people have been sharing with one another. This situation had the potential to be far more difficult than it was, and I think that God's love resonated throughout this in the actions of neighbors and strangers as well as police, fire, emergency personnel, men and women of the national guard, and those working to restore power and water. The dedication is intense.
I realize, though, that our situation here, while tough, pales in comparison to the devastation in Texas. On television, however, I have seen stories of resilience and determination, and know that God's love is present and abundant there as well. I continue to hold in prayer all who have been affected by the hurricanes and flooding. May you feel God's peace surrounding you and strengthening you.