Can you hear the water singing?

My sweet friend was standing near the table, across from me. I was pouring water from one cooking pot into another. Suddenly, smiling at me she said quietly, “can you hear the water singing”? As an autistic person she has the wonderful gift of “hearing” things I cannot hear. I was surprised at her comment and I’m sure my face had a question mark all over. She repeated gently, “Can you hear the water singing? When the water falls it makes music.”

That scene took place a few months ago, and that day I thought about it all day long. I still think about it. No, I didn’t hear the water making any melody. I was just pouring water and my mind was on the present duty: preparing food. And no, we were not near a water fall. But she heard beyond  my own hearing capacity. She heard the water singing. Today I was looking for a quote in the writings, on a different subject, when I came across this statement:

The heart that receives the word of God is not as a pool that evaporates, not like a broken cistern that loses its treasure. It is like the mountain stream, fed by unfailing springs, whose cool, sparkling waters leap from rock to rock, refreshing the weary, the thirsty, the heavy-laden. It is like a river constantly flowing, and as it advances, becoming deeper and wider, until its life-giving waters are spread over all the earth. The stream that goes singing on its way, leaves behind its gift of verdure and fruitfulness. The grass on its banks is a fresher green, the trees have a richer verdure, the flowers are more abundant. When the earth lies bare and brown under the summer's scorching heat, a line of verdure marks the river's course. ChS 105.4

So it is with the true child of God. The religion of Christ reveals itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working, spiritual energy. When the heart is opened to the heavenly influence of truth and love, these principles will flow forth again like streams in the desert, causing fruitfulness to appear where now are barrenness and dearth. --Prophets and Kings, pp. 233, 234. ChS 106.1

Elijah also “heard” sounds no one else heard on Mount Carmel. Moved by the Spirit of Christ he spoke as he was instructed.

1Ki_18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

It was not because of any outward evidence that the showers were about to fall, that Elijah could so confidently bid Ahab prepare for rain. The prophet saw no clouds in the heavens; he heard no thunder. He simply spoke the word that the Spirit of the Lord had moved him to speak in response to his own strong faith.... Having done all that was in his power to do, he knew that Heaven would freely bestow the blessings foretold. The same God who had sent the drought had promised an abundance of rain as the reward of rightdoing; and now Elijah waited for the promised outpouring.

Like Elijah who waited, sending his servant seven times to look for the fulfillment of the promise, we also wait for the promise of abundant rain.

Acts_1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Once the servant came back with the news of the small black cloud, the prophet moved on faith.

This was enough. Elijah did not wait for the heavens to gather blackness. In that small cloud he beheld by faith an abundance of rain; and he acted in harmony with his faith. . . . As he prayed, his faith reached out and grasped the promises of Heaven, and he persevered in prayer until his petitions were answered. He did not wait for the full evidence that God had heard him, but was willing to venture all on the slightest token of divine favor.

We know that the rain has been delayed, that his people are under the spell of a spiritual drought and the hearts of many are fainting because of it. And the Father cries to His beloved:

Deu 11:16, 17  Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain…

But not all is dearth upon the land,

Amos_4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you …  and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

Is it sprinkling on our city yet? Do we hear the sound of abundance of rain in that city of the world we are in? Is it raining in our piece of the earth, in the country or in the city, wherever that may be, so that we are not withering, or are we missing the showers?

Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it. FLB 333.6

Can we hear something no one else seems to hear? Can we hear the call of Elijah entreating us to return to the only true God and Jesus Christ, His son, whom he has sent so that His Spirit will be poured out in a greater measure than at Pentecost?

Can you see the small black cloud that’s hardly visible announcing an abundance of rain? Can you hear the water coming from the river of life that flows from the throne of God? Can you hear the water singing?