In this past week, I’ve upped my “quest” to hear God’s voice more clearly. It’s only been four years or so since I even realized that God wants to speak to me, but I don’t feel that I’ve made much progress. Jesus said that “My sheep hear My voice.” For me, this is what I think I need most… to be able to hear and instantly recognize the voice of the One who orders my days.
A few days ago, I visited Bring the Rain, and again, I was blessed. She talked about the significance of what Samuel said. “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” I realized that it’s really that simple, so I resolved to make that prayer my own throughout the day.
So yesterday I went across the road to see if I could find my daughter’s bouncy ball for her. There is a small hill at the edge of our property, and the cars tear over it at 40+ mph, so our kids aren’t allowed to cross the road for any reason. (They’d be totally out of sight of drivers until it was too late.) Consequently, she had to let the ball go until I had time to go look for it.
So yesterday she was in our yard, telling me about where it bounced. I walked up and down about 20 feet of grass and weeds, trying to find it and failing miserably.
After a few minutes, I said, “Lord, You know where this ball is. Can you help me find it for my daughter?” I walked up and down, asking again, and saying, Lord, I’m trying to hear Your voice. Let this be another exercise in recognizing it. Can You tell me where it is? I really want to find this for my daughter… Your daughter. Should I give up? Where should I look? What about-“
“You might hear Me if you can be quiet for a minute,” He said.
I shut up and listened.
“Step to your left.”
I stepped to my left and looked and looked. I still couldn’t find it. Which set me to wondering if it hadn’t been God who said to step to the left. What if it was just me? I really didn’t know.
I started thinking about giving up again. But just then, a mosquito buzzed around my left arm. I looked down and swatted at it.
And as I pulled my hand away, there, another step to the left and exactly beyond the mosquito… was the ball.
I had to laugh. A mosquito! “Lord, it was You who said step to the left. Somewhere, in all that re-hashing what I had or had not heard, did You say to step to the left again? I don’t know, but thank You. You are more good to me than I deserve.”
I tossed the ball to my daughter and told her that God used a mosquito to show me where it was.
And last night, my husband wanted to know if I killed God’s messenger.
Did you kill God’s messenger?
I love it when God speaks to me, or rather when I’m quiet enough to hear Him speaking.
haha! Great post, Katie. God is so much like that. I love that there is nothing too small for Him to take an interest in. I’ve been recognizing His voice a bit more recently. Always in the small things.
For the record, I don’t think I did. My swat was more of a brush-her-away wave than a kill-her-where-she-stands-before-she-dares-attack-my-children smack. But I honestly don’t know, as I forgot about her the moment I saw the bouncy ball.
This is a wonderful reminder to me….and beautifully written. It’s such a soft voice and He is so faithful!!!! He speaks to us in so many ways…but I love it when it’s just US….thank you for my smile for the day!