Caw Caw.. Caw Caw...

Its that season of the year when the Capt. and I spend a lot of time in our favorite spot: the screen porch. It's up high so we get a view of the ground and also the tree tops. Its a nice perspective. Another thing we get up close is the sound of the forest. Relaxing with a good cup of coffee is a great way to observe the activity in that wooded world.

My imagination gets crazy out there. I can sense the tiny world of the creatures who call our backyard forest their home and I know there are conversations going on all around me. At times I can decipher what's going on between the crows and the redbirds; the blue jays and the squirrels, but this morning there was a different sound. We kept listening and trying to determine what animal makes that sound. Turkey? No. Bird? No. Humm... it was a very faint but insistent sound.

As I walked over to the edge and leaned down to check out the ground below us, I bumped into the sound: a toy barn with animals and a very low battery. The little toy was relentlessly oinking away with what little power he had left. I turned him off and we had a good laugh.

But then I started thinking about all the voices in my world. I know some chirpers who chant and tweet and make me smile; some singers who whistle a pretty tune and brighten my days. I also know a few crows whose endless "caw caw" attitudes make me a little nuts. And then there are the doves in my life who remind me of my Father's love for me. There are the wild turkeys who are just .... turkeys. :-)  And, of course, that persistent oinking from one who refuses to leave me be.

But the most important voice is the still small voice of Jesus. It is His strong, loving voice that keeps me settled. It is never a distraction, never a disappointment, never inappropriate, and always wonderful. His voice quietly thunders through my heart, overshadowing all the others. My day is brighter, my heart is lighter and I know that I am loved.

And oh, he turns off that continual "oinking" sound.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.