Listen up!

Yesterday I took the dog for a walk in the local park which backs onto the school playground.  The kids were all out and there was a happy sound of shouting and playing as fifty or so of them ran about like mad things making a noise.  Its what kids do best

But despite the fact that I was some distance away, and despite the fact that there were fifty voices all competing for attention I was still easily able to hear Ben calling over to one of his mates.

And that made me smile - and then it made me think.    I can hear Ben's voice over any amount of other voices because I know him really really well.   I know what his voice sounds like because Ive heard it all day every day for eight and a half years.  And I suppose the other thing was that I knew Ben was likely to be in the playground and I was tuned in to see if I could hear him.

Doesnt take much of a leap to see the spiritual application here does it ?

Two or three years ago we started to teach the boys about listening to God's voice.   On the way to church every Sunday in the car we began to listen.  We explained the ways in which God might speak to them...... a thought, a picture, a pain in some part of their body, a song which suddenly came to mind or a bible verse.   For several weeks they just sat there saying ' Mum I cant hear anything - I dont know what you mean - I cant do this'     We didnt give up, we kept on encouraging them to listen.   Then one day when I said '  Did anyone hear anything?'   Josh, somewhat tentatively said that when we were praying he had suddenly felt a pain in his right hip.   Immediately he said this Sam just about went through the roof of the car and yelled  '  I got that too!'     They had both felt pain in the same hip.     We were somewhat excited.  When we arrived at church we shared the hip pain from the front and THREE people came forward for prayer for sore right hips!   In a congregation of 70 people what are the chances of that?  !!

Over the months and years the boys have begun to tune into God's voice.  They now regularly hear Him speaking to them - sometimes with amazing results.  They have grown in confidence that He is there and speaking.  And that He is also listening.  My fervent prayer for them is that as they grow and throughout their lives they will always be tuned in and that above the sound of the crowd they will always be able to identify the voice of their Father saying ' This is the way - walk in it'

Lord, as we are busy in the run up to Christmas , being shouted at by the advertisers and the bank balance and the demands of family and all the rest, may we be able to hear Your voice above the clamour.  Thank you that You are always speaking .  Amen