“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honoured by every nation.
I will be honoured throughout the world.”
Psalm 46:10
I re-read this story recently and again God reminded me that sometimes we are so focused on our agendas for the day, the rush to achieve, to be on time, to get things done, that in our haste we become less aware of His whispers and others. We then miss hearing Gods voice and the opportunities to show others the Kindness of a loving God. To get our attention God sometimes allows the bricks in life to remind us.
The story goes…
“Several years ago, a young successful executive named Josh was driving on a Chicago street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12-cylinder Jaguar, which was only 2 months old. He was watching carefully for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something; a brick sailed out and – WHUMP! – it smashed into the Jag’s shiny back side door. He slammed on his brakes and pushed his gears into reverse, tires spinning the Jaguar backed to the spot where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted, “Who are you? And what the heck are you doing?” He said, “That’s my new Jag, and the brick you threw is going to cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?”
“Please, mister, please…I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do! I threw the brick because no one would stop.”
Tears were running down the boy’s face as he pointed “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy pled, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.’ Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything else was okay. He then walked with them to be sure that the younger brother could get them back home all right.
It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining 12-cylinder Jaguar; a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix that door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone had to throw a brick at him to get his attention again.”
Making time, slowing down and putting God first helps us hear His voice more clearly. Hearing His whispers leads us, but first, we need to be still. We may know His presence but we aren’t always listening. God allows people, situations and things in our lives for reasons, sometimes to just get our attention but other times we may never understand.
Do you sense His presence and still small voice? Pay attention. Slow down. Be still and know.