Nothing Can Be Everything
Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? Sometimes it can be annoying and you wake up the next day with it still there, on repeat, over and over. But there are some songs that you never get tired of. One of my very favorites is, “When You Say Nothing At All.” I prefer the version sung by Alison Krauss or my good friend Rudy. It’s such a sweet and tender love song and there are so many little phrases that resonate for me when I think of my husband. “The smile on your face lets me know that you need me,” “The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall,” and “Old Mr. Webster could never define, what’s being said between your heart and mine,” are just a few. If you’re familiar with the song, I’m betting you’re humming along with me right now. It’s ok. We can pause for a musical break for just a moment.
I was singing this song earlier today, too. I was struggling to put my thoughts into words as I was getting ready to sit down to write. I was saying a little prayer for clarity and this song just started playing in my head. I thought it was a bit ironic because sometimes it feels like God isn’t saying anything at all. But when I stop and really think about that, I realize that while sometimes it can feel like God is quiet, I think He’s always speaking to us. It just might not be in a way that we’re expecting.
Much like the lyrics of the song, even when it can seem like He’s saying nothing, He’s saying so many things. I can’t even begin to count the number of times when I’m listening to a worship song and a phrase captures my attention and it feels like it was written for me in that moment. There might be other times that I’m lost in some sad thoughts and I look up to catch a complete stranger smiling at me. I get that sometimes that can be a little weird, but usually it’s just sweet and perfect timing for my heart. We sense it in a beautiful sunrise or sunset, watching the waves of the ocean, rainbows, a baby’s belly laugh and so many other ways.
God truly is creative in how He communicates His love and presence to us.
“How clearly the sky reveals God's glory! How plainly it shows what he has done! Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next. No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; yet their message goes out to all the world and is heard to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 19:1-4 (GNT)
I don’t want to sound bossy, but listen to this part again, “No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; yet their message goes out to all the world and is heard to the ends of the earth.”
The emphasis is mine, but isn’t that stunning? No speech. No sound. But His message is heard to the ends of the earth. That is a very long way! And He will stop at nothing to let you know that He’s there for you. When I think about all of the ways God speaks to us without saying a word, I have to remind my own self to stop talking and just look at all of the beautiful evidence that shows us He’s here and He hears. Sometimes, oftentimes, when it seems like God isn’t saying anything, He’s saying everything.