Yesterday I took the day off and drove with Anita down to southern Indiana where we met our daughter and grandkids from Nashville, Tennessee. We spent a couple of hours at a McDonald’s play area, then moved suitcases from our daughter’s car to ours. We then drove back home with Lauren and Reuben, ages 6.5 and 3, respectively. They will spend the week with us and attend the Vacation Bible School at the church.
The one thing they both wanted to do was sit around a bond fire, so I fired up the firepit in the evening and we sat around the fire. They live in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville near the airport. So I had little Reuben on my lap on the porch swing after dark and asked him what sounds he could hear. Its fairly quiet at our house compared to the city. But, he identified the sounds he heard: first the crickets, then a dog barking, a motorcycle revving up, a train whistle. Finally, with the window open behind us, he exclaimed, “I hear Grandma!”
Have you ever sat still and identified all the sounds that come into your ears? Its amazing how many times we simply filter those sounds out as not important. Perhaps that’s what happens with that still small voice that God is sending our way. Let’s pay attention. What’s God been saying to you?
Tags: listening, peace, quiet
David L. Rasmussen told the story of a time he was arriving home from work. He was greeted in the driveway by his pregnant dog. As she waddled toward him, he called out, “How are you doing, Fatso?”
From next door, where he was working on his lawn mower, his neighbor replied, “Oh, just fine.”
Sometimes we think people are talking to us when they’re really not. And sometimes we think people are ignoring us, when they are really trying to get through to us. Its like that with God’s word. He’s really trying to teach us important life lessons from His word. And that does include Fatso.
Tags: humor, listening
William Schueneman submitted to Reader’s Digest that after church one Sunday, he noticed his five-year-old son Dennis writing intently.
“Dad,” he said, “how do you spell ‘God’?” Pleased that he must have been paying attention in church, he told him.
And then he asked, “How do you spell ‘Zilla’?”
I think I know a few other people who only half listen in church. We sometimes only hear what we want to hear. If we come looking for something, we’ll likely find what we came looking for, and miss what we weren’t looking for. Let’s keep our ears (and mind) open.
Tags: humor, listening
This morning I got up early and went to the men’s breakfast at church. Joyce Summers and her volunteers did a great job with the meal. I shared for 40 minutes on what I have learned through this process. I did OK, but if I had to do that three times I would be exhausted, so I know I’m not ready to get back to preaching yet.
Now that the catheter is out I’m aware of some dull pain I still have in my abdomen. I’m moving slowly, but can pretty well do the things I did before the surgery. The difficulty I had in sitting is now gone since the catheter has been out. I did my morning stretches for my back today for the first time since surgery, and that felt great.
I shared at the men’s breakfast this morning the statement that God made in Exodus 15:26 where He declared, “I am the Lord that heals you.” That was in the context of the Lord showing Israel what to do to heal the bitter waters of Marah. God’s healing requires us listening to His advice and doing it. If we don’t take our problems to Him, He can’t advise us. So, take your difficulties to Him, and expect Him to direct your steps. What are you trusting the Lord to help you with?
Tags: healing, listening, Marah, trust