In The Stillness Oct. 2009 In The Stillness   And after the earthquake a fire; and after the fire a sound of gentle stillness - I kings 19:12   He is a still, small voice.  A still voice can hardly be heard.  It must be felt.  A steady, gentle pressure on the heart and mind like the touch of a morning zephyr to your face.  A small voice, quietly, almost timidly spoken in your heart, but if heeded growing noiselessly clearer to your inner ear.  His voice is for the ear of love, and love is intent on hearing even faintest whispers.  There comes a time also when love ceases to speak if not responded to, or believed in.  He is love, and if you would know Him and His voice, give constant ear to His gentle touches. (10/03) (excerpted from Streams in the Desert, L.B. Cowman)     In reading this devotion I am reminded of a close friend who lead a Cursillo Retreat using as her theme "Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10.   I observed her prepare for months in the stillness of His presence among the busyness of life and since then there never a day goes by that something doesn't remind of this passage and the photo of a lone adirondak chair at the end of a wooden pier overlooking a fantastic sky and a body of water.  The retreat moments bring us to a place of stillness that resides in us no matter what is happening in life.     In the past couple weeks we've seen earthquakes and tsunamies of record proportions.  Fires blazed across our TV sets for weeks.  Also just this morning we witnessed reports of a heroic rescue of a young child from an apartment fire by a local business owner who apparently did not know him.      During our Annual Charge Conference for the Pearl River Cluster our District Superintendent, Rev. Bill McAlilly's sermon spoke of a true story of a modern-day 'Good Samaritan' who threw himself on top of a man who had fallen under a subway, and in so doing saved his life.  This also was someone he didn't know.  Two individual examples of Good Samaritans in one weekend an abundance of them as rescue efforts are in full swing in the places hard hit by the earthquakes and tsunamies, floods; yet more reminders to 'Be still and know that I am God' in the midst of life's happenings; earthquakes, tsunamies, floods, fires, etc.     Amazed at all these things!  Oh, the stillness of His presence in the activity of everyday life!       Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Rom. 1:7b In His Love and Service,   ©