The tiny whispering sound that Elijah could barely hear. But, he had ears to hear, and hear the softness of God he did, in contrast to the loudness of this life. It makes a person wonder when God told Elijah to go outside the cave and be ready for when the Lord was going to pass by, what sort of presence did Elijah expect to see or hear? If God told you, “Go outside and stand next to the Marian statue on the grounds of Immaculate Conception and wait for me to pass by because I want to say hello to my Mother,” what thoughts will you have on how to recognize his presence? Are you going to wait for a thunderstorm to roll by on a hot, hazy summer afternoon? Do you think God’s presence is in the constant sirens that fly by the Church in both directions? Will the Lord be found in the loud motorcycles and countless cars and trucks without mufflers racing down Gold Star Blvd? if God’s presence is found in those earthquakes and fires, I’d be tempted to say, “Lord, hold back your presence today and grant me a day of peace without you.” Who knows what Elijah thought or expected when he went outside the cave! He was probably waiting for a comet to land next to him. “God’s presence must be found in the spectacular, the obvious, the booming, the overpowering noises beyond our control.” But no. The Lord’s presence in our lives is not found in pickup trucks and cars that have no mufflers racing up and down Gold Star. When that happens, I rename the street “Bronze Star.” Or “No Star.” Instead, the Lord’s presence in our lives is found on the grounds of a place like the Spencer Abbey, where a few monks are drinking Spencer Ale, eating their chocolates, softly listening to Gregorian Chant with big smiles on their faces as they thank God for being so close. The smiles are not caused by drinking too much Spencer Ale. God is close to them. That’s cause for smiling. That, my friends, is a tiny whispering sound. Those moments where Jesus tells the storm to cease, to be still, or in Lincoln St. language, to shut up. Each day we saunter outside our cave, leaving our homes, hopefully with the hope that we’re going to encounter the Lord’s presence in some form. Not a day in our life goes by without our Lord inviting us to get closer. We may carry some level of apprehension and fear what his presence will look like and sound like. What sounds or what person is he going to use to draw us in? We may think, “Well, if it’s God’s presence, I better nail my feet to the ground because I’ll probably get knocked over.” Granted, I’m a firm believer that God will use any means available to capture our attention to draw us deeper and deeper into his presence until the hour we stand before him on the other side of death. Means that are loud, soft, and anywhere in between to ensure we land on the correct of life eternal. He will use any and every means to grab our attention when the end result is our eternal good. Whatever it takes for us to arrive safely. Nothing is off the table when it comes to our eternal destiny. But, the tiny whispering sound, and Jesus’ presence that calms the roaring waters, are the most likely manifestations that allow for closeness to God in this world. In your life, if you haven’t already, make room for the quiet. Make room for the soft. Make room for some holy immersion. Recognizing when the Lord is close by is one thing. Melting into that closeness like Elijah and Peter did is a whole different ballgame. Despite God’s request, Elijah could have stayed in his cave. And Peter could have stayed in the boat, even after Jesus called him forth. But they chanced it. They both stepped out. One from the quiet of his cave; the other from a stormy, tipping boat. Elijah on the mountain, and Peter on the sea came to know that God is best known in the overpowering quiet that he wishes us to make room for.