Catching Idle Butterflies

Notes to the Soul

Once in a while, God surprises me with His presence. I don't ask for or even expect it, and in a moment of quiet, whether it be at work, in my car, sitting on the couch at home, or the moment I wake up in the morning, there He is.

I wonder why, feeling no conscious great need to have Him near at that moment. Nevertheless, I pause whatever I'm doing or thinking and bask in His warm attention. I don't speak, and neither does He. It's simply to enjoy each other's company, much like I would with my husband or dear friend. No words are needed.

Right now I feel Him near. This time, however, I figured out why without too much thought.

Many religions forbid listening to music, and that includes some Christians. Like anything, though, it's not the music itself that "leads to sin," but our thoughts and actions as we listen.

Music has much power behind it, whether it be hymns, instrumentals, rock and roll, or rap. Something about those musical notes and voices raised with depth of feelings and passions touch us on a primal level. It digs sometimes deeper into our soul than mere words. Denying ourselves that power because of what might happen lessens the possibilities of having God close as well as opportunities to worship and praise.

Being so busy with my life and my new story, I haven't listened to much music lately. I also haven't written much about "Finding God" in the last week, because I admit I've thought little about Him. Again, too busy.

I have felt the absence, even feeling a little guilty having paused my continuing desire to grow closer to God.

How simple the solution to once again feel God near, even smiling at me, seeming to enjoy my company as much as I enjoy His.

At this moment, out of the single speaker of the little radio sitting on my desk at work flows music dedicated solely to worshiping Jesus.

No wonder He feels close to me now. His music has opened my heart and soul to feeling His presence.

I will sit here and savor Him a little longer before I'll let life intrude once again. Hopefully being surrounded by music, though I go about my day as I normally do, my focus will be on Him and not on me and all I need to accomplish.

Having said that, I have to brag some more. Last night I went to a potluck supper and “write in” with other local NaNo participants. After we ate, we spent the next 3½ hours writing our novels. I punched out a whopping 3,400 words bringing my current total up to 13,308. Was my brain tired when I drove home at 10pm! I felt a lot like the Rotten Egg Nebula. I’ve typed enough now, if I wanted to take a break today, I’ll still be well ahead of keeping the 1,667 words/day average. I don’t think I will, though. If I take a break now, I may have a difficult time getting back in the groove.

And lastly:

Today in the States is voting day. Here’s a quote I read from one of my weekly newsletters compiled by http://patriotpost.us/

“My father was a World War II Marine. That memory, and all that goes with it, invariably unleashes deep emotions and the threat of tears because it embodies so much about the Greatest Generation guys, young men who considered their military service a badge of honor and who wore their military identity with quiet pride. I grew up knowing that the Marines were heroes because my dad told us about his ‘buddies.’... I poured over my dad’s postcards and his incredibly mushy letters to my mother. Those letters epitomized love and romance for me; as much as anything else I can remember, they shaped my view of what love and marriage are all about wholehearted, passionate devotion to each other and intense longing to be together. My mother’s trip from Georgia to San Diego to see my father off to action in the South Pacific was a pivotal event in their lives. Such a trip was a major undertaking in those days and indicates volumes about their relationship and the poignancy of such wartime separations... I’m once again awed by those young people who devotedly preserved the freedom that we take so much for granted today. It is such a priceless freedom, and it angers me that millions don’t value it enough to go the polls and cast a ballot when my dad and millions of other GIs fought to keep that freedom alive... for the girls who loved them, then and now.” —Janice Shaw Crouse