I finally got my lawn mowed today. For almost two weeks here thunderstorms had been hitting us on and off. I’d watched out my window as the wet grass grew thicker and taller and wondered if my little push mower would be able to handle our huge lawns without choking up.

I’d thought that I was going to be able to mow it yesterday but I was wrong. Yesterday the sun had been shining since dawn and slowly drying out the grass. By the afternoon I was ready and put on my old mowing jeans and shoes. As I went out the door, however, I heard “rumble, rumble, rumble” in the sky. The sun had disappeared and been replaced with dark, gray clouds. The weather forecast had called for thunderstorms to the south of us but we were supposed to be fine. I walked over to my daughter’s house and pulled out our push mower. “Rumble, Rumble, Rumble!” went the sky again. Now I was worried a bit but rationalized that I could still probably get it all done before anything really dangerous rolled in. I poured gas into the mower’s tank, screwed the cap on, and reached down to start it up.

CRACK!! BOOM!! A flash of lightening streaked across the sky above me while the thunder deafened my ears. “OK!” I shouted as I put the mower back up and ran to my house. I looked out my kitchen window as the lightening, thunder, wind, and rain rolled in minutes later. I was little embarrassed too. Usually God doesn’t have to yell at me to get my attention.

God speaks to us in so many ways. He speaks to us in books. He speaks to us in music. He speaks to us in nature. He speaks to us in our memories and in our experiences. He speaks to us through other people. He speaks to us through animals. He speaks to us through the inner voices of our own thoughts and feelings. Learn to listen for His voice then. Learn to accept His loving guidance. And whatever you do, don’t make God have to yell at you.

Joseph J. Mazzella