by Cathy Baker

 

One thing I’ve learned about the whispers of God this month is that they cannot be manufactured, only experienced. 

So when I felt I was coming up empty for a post, I moved outside for inspiration. 

I inhaled deeply while walking past the scrawny, but intoxicating, Winter Honeysuckle shrub. I thought of my uncle Jim who, in his final months this side of heaven, loved when I would snap off a branch and bring it to him.

I paused at the Red Buckeye Tree nearby, seeing it not so much for what it is now but what it will become in just a few weeks. Panicles of red flowers will greet our giddy ‘hood of hummingbirds very soon!

Winter Honeysuckle Bush

And then there were the white/red striped camellias and daffodils. Both reminded me of my grandmothers. Grandmother loved ole-timey jonquils and Ma-Ma loved the camellias. I grow both as a nod to them and the beauty they brought—and continue to bring—to my life, even though they’ve been in heaven for years. 

As I made my way back to the house, I recalled Isaiah 61:11.

Red Buckeye Tree Preparing to Bud

Daffodil and Camellias from my yard

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to
grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up
before all nations.

Just as His whispers cannot be manufactured nor can His blessings. He uses the picture of a growing garden to show that He alone is able to miraculously engineer a simple seed to bring forth life from the soil. All we can do is make the environment right for the seed to grow to maturity. 

Similarly, we can’t force or make God’s blessings happen but the heart can provide the right environment for His blessings to grow in and through our lives. 

There it was, God’s whisper. It’s the beauty of the Word, for if we’re willing to listen, He is always willing to speak.