“Where The Crawdad Sings” by Justin March

“As night fell, Tate walked back toward the shack.  But when he reached the lagoon, he stopped under the deep canopy and watched hundreds of fireflies beckoning far into the dark reaches of the marsh.  Way out yonder, where the crawdads sing.”An excerpt from “Where The Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

I wept as I read the final lines of “Where The Crawdads Sing.”  Maybe I was overcome with emotion by the simple fact that the book had ended, and I wanted more.  Maybe I shed some tears thinking about all Kya Clark had endured, all the lemons life had thrown her way, and all the battles she fought to try to overcome the evils of mankind.  And maybe I was saddened by how I often do not take enough time, in solitude and peace, to slow down and try to hear the crawdads sing.

When the author was asked “do crawdads really sing”, Ms. Owens had this enlightening message to share.  “Technically, scientifically, crawdads do not sing.  But I’ve made a bit of a study of it myself.  And I’ve found that first you must go-all by yourself-and set up a small camp in real wilderness.  I’m speaking of a place far from any road or village.  Not a park, but a remote and wild land filled with Earth’s creatures.  Just before dusk, you must walk deep into the woods and stand there exposed and totally alone as darkness descends around you.  When you can feel the planet beneath your toes and the trees moving about, you must listen with all your ears, and-I promise-you will hear the crawdads sing.  In fact, it will be a chorus.”

I often write messages that we are called to build community and be inclusive to all God’s people.  We are to listen to one another, break bread together, and love one another as Jesus loves us.  Yet, as I clumsily make my way along the path God has set before me, I find myself craving those times of isolation where I can slow down and hear the crawdads sing.  I yearn to sit in silence.  I want to feel the warmth of the sun shining on my face.  I want to watch the squirrels frolic in the backyard.  And I want to hear God’s whispers as I breathe in The Holy Spirit during these precious moments of solitude.

Are we taking the time to slow down, inhale and exhale deeply, and truly understand the messages God is trying to send to us?  Are we breathing in the mountain air, feeling the ocean mist, or listening to the river run?

It only takes a few minutes, each day, to relax and allow God in.  His whispers are refreshing, comforting, and healing.  And when we allow these precious moments of silence to sink in, we are rejuvenated in The Holy Spirit and ready to go back out to that world.  A world that needs us to be equipped with God’s messages so our lights shine so bright that they attract others to walk closer with Him.

I am trying to find more places where the crawdads sing.  It may not always be easy to hear the music, but I promise it is there.  The more you practice slowing down, the more you keep your eyes and ears open, and the more you become vulnerable to God’s whispers, I believe you will find that the notes become louder and louder.  And one day, when the harmonies fade and our earthly journeys come to an end, those faint whispers we have been searching for will erupt into a beautiful chorus that only God and His angels are able to reward!