Volume

by Becky Hunter

Noah, my 13-year-old grandson, is on his school’s tennis team. Tennis is a courteous sport. I cannot overstate how much more I enjoy watching it than, say for example, wrestling. I’m a big fan of sports that can be played for a lifetime—but I’ve noticed that several of the lifetime sports (tennis and golf come immediately to mind) require silence from fans in the crowd! As a fan, this brings me tremendous stress.

I grew up on Indiana basketball and Ohio football and was hoarse most Mondays. I was a cheerleader in middle and high school and inherent in that role was a conviction that being really loud was really helpful. So as I sat with Josh and Lisa on a bleacher at Sanlando Park on Friday evening and watched their talented son the silence seemed counterproductive. But it wasn’t. Noah knew we were praying for him to play well and to model good sportsmanship. In a world that is very loud, I think maybe our silent presence was the only thing that he actually could have taken in.

It made me think about 1 Kings 19:11-12: “'Go out and stand before me on the mountain,' the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper ... ” And it was the whisper that got his attention and reminded him not only of the task at hand but of God’s calling. I’m learning that being loud is way overrated.

About Becky Hunter:

. She is Joel Hunter's wife, a Pastor from Northland Church on Longwood, FL; author of "Being Good to Your Husband on Purpose" and "Why Her? You, Your Daughter- / Mother-in-Law and the Big Picture" and a former president for Global Pastors Wives Network, still serving on their board.