“Speak Lord, for Your Servant is Listening”
A few days ago, I made my semi-annual trek to Woodall Shoals in North Georgia. I needed some solitude and distance from the ambient noise and distractions that pursue us every day. You may never have heard of Woodall Shoals or Georgia’s Chattooga River, but you definitely know of it! That’s because it’s just upstream of that infamous clash in the 1972 movie classic, Deliverance. Yup, Burt Reynolds and the gang found trouble in North Georgia!
Woodall Shoals is a Class 5 rapid (extremely dangerous, treacherous whitewater) on Section 4 of the Chattooga. It’s an exceedingly tricky “keeper hydraulic,” meaning if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing and paddle into the “hole,” it can easily snatch you out of your boat . . . and drown you in the undertow!
According to the GA Forestry Service, Section 4 of the Chattooga River (which includes Woodall Shoals), has claimed forty-two lives since Deliverance drew people to the river adventure. In my younger days I kayaked Section 4 of the river many times, but now—a few decades later—I’m content to watch others do it. And even last week, I watched skilled and experienced kayakers pick up their boats and walk the land trail around the killer hydraulic.
On my periodic pilgrimage to Woodall—I sit every time on the same rocky shelf that overlooks “the keeper.” It’s a place where the roar of the rapids snuffs out all the ambient noise of life . . . and gives me an opportunity to listen to what God has for me. And just like the biblical account in 1 Samuel 3:9, when I get to the river’s edge, I pause and repeat Eli’s instructions to young Samuel, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
I confess that most of my prayer life entails asking God for something; I don’t do enough listening. That’s not all bad, because much of my prayer life is intercession for others. But I also need to know how, when, and where God wants to direct my life . . . through decisions that affect my family, ministry initiatives I should take-on (or release), how to address messy conflict situations, and where I’m in deficit mode on my spiritual journey. Yes, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
In the rearview mirror of life, I see that some of the most important decisions in the last dozen-plus years have been prompted at Woodall Shoals. It was there that I decided to leave my business and pursue a ministry career. Another visit produced my Five Pillars of Ministry and a ten-year vision. In still another encounter came the inspiration to write Metamorphyx. None of those decisions came from weird spiritual apparitions alongside the wild river. Rather, they are all products of intentionally ratcheting down the ambient noise and busyness in life . . . and listening to what God had on his agenda for me in the solitude of a quiet place.
“Ambient noise” speaks to the nonstop buzz of busyness in our lives. It’s never been higher in human existence! Our phones, social media, passwords for everything, and an activity-based culture demand more from us (and our kids!) every year. Says author and pastor John Ortberg, “Busyness is not from the devil, it is the devil!” Time alone with God is frequently a casualty of a jammed calendar . . . and we pay a heavy price for it. If you think that’s an exaggerated judgment of our culture, then ask yourself this, “When did I last take a few hours (let alone a day!!) with the Lord and shove busyness aside?” If you can’t answer that question, it’s likely that many of the unresolved issues in your life will remain . . . well, unresolved due to lack of guidance and wisdom from God’s Spirit.
Last week’s venture to Woodall Shoals was as fruitful as any previous visits to the North Georgia wilderness . . . but no joke, I almost ditched the whole trip because I was too busy! No, not all my pressing priorities were resolved, but in reflection, I can see some life-focus changes I need to make . . . because I was listening!
God is certainly not obligated to respond to our appeals, but I’ve learned he often does. Why? Because time alone with God honors our relationship with him and often results in richly inspired life insight . . . and sometimes even a life change discovery that points to a new pathway in life. In the busyness of daily life, I’ve learned that spiritual wisdom and guidance is often crowded out by ambient noise in the casual life traveler—but revealed to the life purpose explorer who asks, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
I encourage you to book your personal retreat with the Lord. Dedicate a day . . . or start with just a few hours away. Need help planning it? Contact me.
Tom
“I will instruct and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel and watch over you,” (Psalm 32:8).
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Due to a glitch in the launch of the Metamorphyx 2025 website, many subscribers did not receive the first newsletter, ChatGPT’s Glint of the Future. If that includes you, scroll back to the Blog Page on the website and catch up.
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