Hear the Words

I love words. I love to write them, speak them and hear them. I know my “love language” is words. Many of my memories are wrapped around words. Some of the greatest gifts have been the gift of words from my daddy, my mama, from Ray and from my children. I remember when our kids were babies and we marveled at how the babies recognized our voices so early in their lives. Then, we eagerly awaited their first word…how precious that connection. (Then the twos, the threes and the teen years convinced me that words could be overrated!)

We’ve just survived Winter Formal at our house. It is so fun to have a teen-age girl and to play dress-up. We shopped and shopped for the “right” dress. We shopped for the right shoes, the right earrings, bracelets, and hairstyle. We tanned, we plucked, we had alterations, TWICE alterations, and we talked boutonnieres, curfew, money, and picture taking. We survived intact with a beautiful girl (outside too) and lots of pictures and an on-time curfew!

At the picture-taking location, the kids were gathering and us parents got to show up to play photographer. We arrived a bit early and saw a lot of cars but because it was so dark we couldn’t see who was gathered and waiting for the photos to begin. As we got out of our car, suddenly, our girl was walking towards us, looking radiant. She hesitantly said, “Um, hi. We’re just gathering and y’all are the only parents here; would you just wait in the car until the others parents arrive?” My precious, kind and loving husband said, “Sure, honey!” I on the other hand was speechless. (A God blessing!) We got into our car to wait.

This baby girl who recognized my voice upon her birth, who wanted her mama over anyone else, who held my hand until she was in the fourth grade didn’t want us around in that moment. She knew we were there for her but didn’t want to hear our voices in that moment.

I sat there and actually realized how that scene reminded me of my own relationship with Jesus. There are just times when I don’t really want Him around. I don’t want Him to remind me of how to act or how to love. I choose to not hear His voice! I convince myself that I don’t recognize His voice? But in His grace and love, He keeps standing by my side loving me all the same.

I think I’m really good at hearing the sweet, patient, loving voice of God. But there is another voice of God that I tend to ignore. It’s the one that wants to keep changing me, growing me and sending me. I’m more comfortable with the cooing, soft all-loving voice of the baby Jesus. The adult loving, encouraging, pushing, urging, calling Jesus makes me very uncomfortable. So I choose for my ears not to work on those days.

Some of those commands are just too much for wee me. Go, love, give, serve, be last, wash feet, feed poor, love those who are unlovely. Hmmm....hey Lord, could you just wait in the car?

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?....

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:35-40 selected verses

And He was saying, " He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
 Mark 4:8-10

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