Another beautiful day in the books, so warm I’ll call it a summer day, blue sky sketched full of clouds by Father Sky, the sun beaming down very warmly, birds frolicking all around the yard. I ate my breakfast in the swing and watched the birds and the two squirrels, Fatty and Brownie. Yesterday the squirrels had a fight and the little brown squirrel slid all the way down the oak trunk, his claws clicking and scratching, and plopped right down on the ground in front of me and Penelope. We just stood there staring at him and he skedaddled off. He’s a little fox squirrel and doesn’t seem to be liked by the gray squirrels.

I went to Home Depot in LaGrange late morning and did some cloud watching all the way over there and back home again. The sky was full of clouds, all looking like Troll dolls, lined up all across the horizon, sketched white and blue and purple by Father Sky. I couldn’t help but laugh at them, all shapes and sizes with the crazy hair and the big eyes and noses. I remembered my Troll doll toys from my childhood with the crazy orange and purple hair. On the way back home the Troll clouds were huge and kinda scary looking and changing shapes as I crossed back into Alabama.

Years ago I bought this huge stuffed Troll doll named Poppy from a sale buggy at Wally World. It cost nothing compared to the original price. I was so proud of myself for finding such a bargain. I just knew my little granddaughter would love it. I left it on her bed as a surprise and she took it home with her. On the next visit she brought it back saying, “I love it Patty but I want to keep her on my bed here.” Don’t blame her! Probably scared her when she woke up at night. Don’t know why those things became so popular. It still sits on her bed, though, thrown in a corner when she visits.

I painted my red porch swings black today. I really missed not being able to sit in them this afternoon and watch the sun setting. I walked Penelope, picked a little tiny wildflower Barbie doll bouquet, and watched as Mother Nature set the horizon on fire with her orange and yellow and red watercolors at sunset. The sun was a blinding ball of fire as she walked down the horizon. Her gown of hot orange taffeta blended with the colors around her and she kissed the day goodnight as she smothered the flames of sunset and woke the twilight. Father Sky kissed the sun goodnight, apologizing for not walking her down the pageant stage. He was running late and tired from sketching Troll clouds all afternoon. He hurried off to pin the milky moon and the twinkling stars high on the night sky as the night waked and the day went to bed.

I was reading this afternoon and came across this sentence. The devil shouts but God whispers. Have you ever heard God whisper? I have, many times, in quiet moments. You’d think God would yell or send a lightning bolt when he wants to get our attention but he whispers because he knows we have to pay attention when someone whispers. He can easily whisper to us because he is always so close to us.

When we’re experience a storm in our lives we have to get through all the thunder and lightning of our troubles before we can listen to what God has to say. Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still, and know that I am God.” We have to find quiet moments of silence for prayers and be silent to listen. Some times in the midst of chaos we cry out for God and wonder why we can’t hear his wisdom. We don’t need to listen when the Devil yells. It’s like static on the radio, we keep looking for the right station. God does hear us in the chaos of life and he gives us hope through our prayers. “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear,” Isaiah 65:24. We have to be still and listen, be still and pray.

God whispers to us through the scriptures of the Bible, through our feelings, and through our prayers. God wants us to silence all the noise of our life and truly listen when he speaks to us. He wants our attention. I hear him whisper of the beauty of heaven’s hymns when I hear the song birds sing in the early morning. I hear him whisper of the glory of heaven when I look at the magnificent watercolors brushed across the sky at sunset.

I feel God’s whispered grace when my grandchildren say the Lord’s Prayer at church on Sundays, say the blessings at meal times, and say their prayers at bedtime. I feel the whispers of God’s loving voice when my family all gathers together happily and the whispers of happy reunions in heaven with the loved ones who have gone before us. And I hear God’s whispered, “I hear you,” when I say my prayers at night and tell him to tell Chief I love him.

God has given us so many, many blessings. We need to listen intently and pay attention when God whispers. God’s whispers are purposeful and powerful, louder than the Devil can yell.

“God whispers your name because you matter to Him.”— Max Lucado