God's Voice

A couple weekends ago, my church had an "olympic" event. The small groups competed against each other in many events. I arrived with my napping girls after things were under way. I really only paid attention to one adult event, and it was the obstacle course. Two teammates were tied together as if in a three-legged race, as well as blindfolded. One teammate shouted directions to them- go left, crawl through the tube, stuff like that. Along the way, they were bombarded with kids with water guns, and a "big kid" with a hose. :)

As I sat at the picnic table (well away from the spraying water), I watched about eight people shouting directions. They were trying hard to get their voices above the crowd. (At church the next day, several men were hoarse!) I wondered what would happen if we did that race as families. The parents shouted directions to the their kids. Would the kids trust and obey? Would they be able to pick their parents' voices out of the crowd?

That's exactly what we're going for with our kids. We want our kids to be able to hear our voices above all the other inputs in their lives. It doesn't take much for other influences to start pulling their attention. Whether it's a friend from church or commercials on tv, we want our voices to be the ones they hear over and above everything else. We want our voices to be the ones that they listen for and know. We want our voices to be the ones they respect, understand, and obey. And I don't want to be hoarse the next day!

This morning I heard a song on the radio. It's called "To Know You" by Casting Crowns. One line in particular speaks on this very thought "To know You is to hear Your voice when You are calling." I can know when I am close to God by how well I can hear His voice. Just like with my kids. When we're at the park, do they come running when I call, or do they ignore me for a few more seconds on the swing? And what's my swing- what am I holding onto and ignoring God for? I need to spend time with my Lord and learn to know His voice. As He's trying to take care of me, it's important that I can hear His voice above all the other voices competing for my attention. If He calls directions to me, I want to hear them. I want to avoid the mud pit and the spraying water. I want to follow His voice and win the race. And I don't think I want to know what it feels like to have the Lord shouting at me!

Last week we had a huge crack of thunder and my two year old was out of bed and started crying. My husband went up to console her but also told her that was God saying "get back in bed!" Is that what it would be like to have the Lord shout at me? I'd much rather be so attuned to His voice that I can hear Him whisper. That I can see Him smiling at me in the softness of a rainbow, that I can hear Him in the gentle breeze through the trees, that I can see His hand as my husband holds mine, that I can hear Him in my children's laughter.

I think that knowing God and hearing His voice is about so much more than the "big things." God is in the little things that are the dailyness of our life. And the more that we get to know Him, the more we WANT to know Him. It actually reminds me of another song that struck me today. One line says "It's more like falling in love than something to believe in." (But that's a story for another day.) Knowing God is and adventure. It's about understanding the eternal from the temporary, it's about sharing His love with the world, it's about trusting God, it's about hearing His voice.

Check out Casting Crown's website for the lyrics to this song, as well as the Scripture that inspired every line of the song. I couldn't find an official version of the song, but I did find this one on You Tube that will allow you to hear it for yourself. I encourage you to grab a Bible and search out the verses for more about what God says about this subject.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 / 2 Corinthians 4:18 / 2 Corinthians 5:11-12 / Ephesians 4:20-24 / Philippians 3 / Philippians 4:12-13

Who Me?

Yesterday I learned yet another lesson from another child in my home that is not my own. It's amazing sometimes how the Lord will use my circumstances to teach me something I should have gotten from His Word the first time around!

I got everything ready for lunch then headed upstairs to make sure the toys were put away. As each person finished their job, I sent them downstairs. When I came down, she told me that she didn't like two of the three items on her plate. This is pretty common for children to say! My standard response is "This is what we're having" regardless of whose child it is. The children always eat it eventually. They don't get anything else until their plates are clean! To make a long story short, this child is more stubborn in the food department (or else isn't made to eat things she doesn't like) and it took quite a while to get her to eat a few bites of sandwhich. I did conceed and only made her eat that before giving her something that she did like.

While she was eating, I told all the kids about Moses. You remember him, right? Pagues, ten commandments and all that. Well, we talked about what happened before that while he was out in the desert. There was a bush burning up on the mountain that wasn't being consumed. how odd! Out of it came the voice of God. He told Moses to go back into Egypt and get his people freed. How would you respond if God verbally spoke to you through a bush that was not burned up? I hope that I would fall on my face and do anything He told me to! Not Moses. He whined a little- "that's too hard, I don't wanna'" Can you even imagine the nerve? "I don't speak well, who's going to listen to me?" GOD is on His side and he wonders who's going to listen? Our gracious Lord grants a concession and tells him that he will send someone to speak for him. I can't recall if Moses complained any more at this point, but eventually Moses agreed to do what the Lord was asking Him to do. But he missed out on a blessing. Because he didn't respond at first with complete obedience, Moses would not be able to enter the Promised Land. Poor Moses! If only he had done the first time what the Lord wanted.

In the instance with this child, she had to do something that was hard for her (eat lunch she didn't like), I granted a concession (she could pick one of the two items to eat and be done). I didn't remove a blessing, though. I wonder how many times in my life I've whined about something that was too hard to do (a lot, I'm sure). I wonder how many concessions the Lord has granted to me (He's so gracious). My heart is torn by wondering at all the blessings I have missed.

I'm going to work hard to train this into my life and the lives of my children. We will not be whiners and complainers when we are asked to do things. Whether it's something "small" like eating something we don't like, or a little bigger like working hard to get out of debt. Life is full of hard things. When the Lord calls me to something grand, I want to be able to respond "Here I am, Lord, send me" (Is 6:6) Rather than "who, me?" I strive to become a woman who is ready and able to answer whatever call He gives me. My children, too, will become men and women who will respond quickly and immediately to the voice of the Lord.

All For a Smartie

Today after breakfast I sent Zachary in to clean the bathroom. It takes him forty-five minutes, and I could do a better job, but if he does it every day it stinks less and he'll get better at it. Anyways, I headed upstairs with the other kids and Veronica went potty! It was so exciting and she got a smartie. The boys wanted a smartie, too, but we don'e just pass the candy out in our hosue. So Zachary offered to clean all three of the bathrooms and Quinlan stripped and remade the beds. I had the majority of our jobs done for the day and all I had to do was raid the Hallween candy! I still have the rest of the package in my pocket...I wonder what else we can get done today for a smartie?