If you are a mother, I am sure you remember that age when your child tried to get your attention with “Mom? Mom? Mom? Mama? Mom? Mom?” etc. Maybe you were trying to read something, or you were concentrating on some task, and that little voice repeated “MOM” incessantly till you wanted to change your name. I loved those days. But time made me forget what that repetition actually felt like. That is…until last night.
The whippoorwill was back. With a vengeance. I had just settled in the back bedroom, my little portable desk on my lap, my iPad charged and ready, the window open to let in the cool evening breeze. Ahhhh…peace. I started to ruminate through my day for a topic. I researched a couple of Scriptures. I said my prayers. Then the whippoorwill began it’s evening love song. My concentration was shattered. For thirty minutes straight one “whippoorwill” after another in rapid succession began to set my teeth on edge. Save for one 10 second pause, it continued on and on.
It made me think of other times my intentions have been interrupted by an agonizingly annoying voice that would not quit. Times when I had a course charted, I was happily heading down the path to a planned destination. And it was totally wrong for me. That incessant voice I heard all those times was the Holy Spirit. Jesus knocked on the door of my heart so many times and I totally ignored Him with my fingers in my ears like a petulant child. “La la la la la la…I can’t HEAR you!”
Funny thing about the Holy Spirit…He’s persistent. Sometimes He’ll just wear you down till you give in out of sheer desperation. But when you do…the rewards are so sweet, it’s hard to remember why you would possibly push Him away like that.
I’ve never seen a whippoorwill that I know of. I think I might have caught a glimpse of one flying low behind the house out on the farm once. They are a funny looking little bird from what I’ve seen on the Google search. Squatty, no-necked, spotty, little critters with drowsy eyes. When he finally became still…either he gave up or got spooked and moved on…the stillness was deafening.
There was a moment when the Holy Spirit went AWOL on me after a particularly bad choice I made. Oh, He never left me…he never abandons us. He was just sitting back, waiting for me to learn that I couldn’t do this alone. Like…”Oh, so THAT’S the choice you’re making, huh? Well, let’s just see how THIS works out for you.”
Eventually, I learned the error of my ways. I just got tired of trying to control everything. I took a step forward and said, “God…I surrender. I can’t do this on my own anymore. I need you to carry this for me.” And…that was as simple as it was. No fanfare. No bugles. No applause. Just…”I’m done.” And in that moment, everything in my life changed.
If this sounds rambling, we’ll blame it on the whippoorwill. It truly was hard to concentrate with that racket just outside the bedroom window as I tried to write. I decided to just leave it as it is as it was after midnight by the time the little bugger gave it up.
I hope you have a wonderful, safe holiday today! ❤
“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,”
Colossians 1:11 NIV