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I was sure I heard a snowflake fall.

As a young boy growing up on a farm in northwestern Washington State, I remember the harsh winter weather vividly. During the spring and summer months, it rained often. In the winter, that same precipitation brought significant snowfall. I would stand in front of the front room window watching the beautiful, large, fluffy snowflakes drift through the air. Unlike the snow storms in the Southeast, it usually accumulated quickly—not to mention it was deep. I couldn’t wait to play in it.

Being a persistent kid, I stayed outdoors until my clothes were soaked and my mittens were frozen gauntlets. My hands would get so cold, my mother would run warm water over them to help thaw them out. That painful, tingling sensation as the numbness thawed and feeling was restored, served as an excruciating reminder of all the day’s “fun.”

I remember walking out into the pasture one snowy day and sitting down on a tree stump. There was no wind, no traffic, no one else around. The deafening quietness roared in my ears. It was then I realized I could actually hear the snow falling. It was a gentle, velvety, muffled pitter-patter as each flake completed its heavenly flight and softly kissed the earth.

Contrast that with the noise and busyness of today’s life. We live in a very noisy society with little real quiet time. Yet, many references in Scripture encourage us to be still and know God is in control, to walk beside still waters, to step aside for a while to rest.

To be quiet is to enable hearing God. He doesn’t yell. He whispers. He whispered to Samuel in the middle of the night. He came to Elijah in a still small voice. Quite often we find His interactions are in quiet settings with those who are listening and expecting to hear from Him.

Whether in the quiet morning hours or as you settle in for the evening, spend some quiet time alone with God. With no children, no television, no smart phone or Internet—just you alone with God and His Word in silent expectation to hear His unique whisper for you. You’ll be amazed at what you finally hear. Maybe even snowflakes.

(Photo courtesy of morguefile and ralfh.)

(For more devotions, visit us at www.christiandevotions.us.)