This weekend we had our Sunday school class over for a dinner party. I had worked at the hospital the night before so when I came home, I put the brisket in the oven and mixed up the cheese ball before hitting my head on my pillow. I had cleaned the day before but of course there was more to be done. Joe and the girls handled that while I got a little shut eye.
I share that because, needless to say, I didn't sleep long knowing what was left to be done. When I only get a few hours of sleep I tend to feel "numb" later in the day. I am slower to respond, I tend to yawn a lot, it is just plan hard for me to do anything too complicated.
At this dinner party everyone was sitting around in the family room and kitchen which is open to each other. Kids were in the library (front room is what we called it from my simple roots) and downstairs. Everyone could be heard-I mean everyone...multiple conversations. I have a hard time hearing with background noise on a good day so I was really having a hard time focusing in on one conversation. I should have recorded it for you. It reminded me of Jim Carey's movie in which God allowed him to take over for a few days (the name of that movie escapes me at the moment). Voices everywhere, multiple topics, laughter...
So I chose to grow quiet. I thought to myself...is that how it sound to you God? So many voices? How do you focus? How do you hear me-just me when I need to be heard from you?
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and You listen to their cry ~ Psalm 10:17
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. ~ Psalm 34:17
Oh how magnificent is our God that He can hear all of us talking to Him at the same time and understand. How compassionate that He would take the time to listen. How humbling to know that He wants to hear us.
He wants to hear you. I want to encourage you to call on Him this week. Not just daily but moment-by-moment. Please Him.
But I also want to caution you with your words. What words will He hear from you this week? Our words can give life, our words can also kill. We have all been on both ends of that haven't we?
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14
As I sit here now in silence, I wonder if God ever has times of silence. Does He ever crave it like we do? Does He ever need it?
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ~ Rev 8:1
There will be silence...but for now, may your voice be heard, may your words please Him.
His Maidservant~Pamela
I almost forgot to post my prayer for you this week. It comes from 1 Peter 5:2 "Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God." You are God's shepherds and my prayer is that you will carry out service for Him this week that brings others to Him. This may involve your family, this may involve a ministry, this may involve someone at work. Shepherd them towards God!!
This weekend we had our Sunday school class over for a dinner party. I had worked at the hospital the night before so when I came home, I put the brisket in the oven and mixed up the cheese ball before hitting my head on my pillow. I had cleaned the day before but of course there was more to be done. Joe and the girls handled that while I got a little shut eye.
6 comments:
Pamela,
Can you imagine that it be totally quiet for a half an hour? Every where? It will....Because God says it will be....but I can't even begin to imagine or fathom it.
May He find me with a servants heart this week and my words and meditations please HIM.
Love ya,
Yolanda
I often have wondered what God hears and how it "feels". I am like you...I can't function well with multiple conversations. Even in our small group, having three conversations is hard...hard to concentrate but also, I want to be with everyone and commune with them all...feeling like I miss out on a conversation. Fortunately, God does not have that problem. He can thankfully handle more than one conversation. I wonder if also He sometimes hates the silence...when His children don't talk to Him. You have have that uncomfortable silence and you feel the need to speak in the silence.
The movie is Bruce Almighty. And the spin off is Evan Almighty and it is so much better...so much more biblical than the previous one...as biblical as a movie can be in the theater.
Love,
Paula
I love you and I mean that. I'm just brimming over with love for my sweet sisters in Christ! I wish I could meet all of you and actually BE QUIET and let you guys talk. (You can ask Yolanda - I talk fast and alot!!)
I wonder like you and Paula what GOD hears. Strangely, when I was on the plane coming back from CA the other week, I looked down at the dots of lights on the ground and I pictures someone standing out there with their fist in the air saying, "no one tells me what to do. ...I don't believe in GOD and I'm in control of my own life!"
I thought how amusing that must be to the angels in heaven and how GOD can bring that person to their knees in a mili second!
Love you,
Teri
I never think about the multiple voices entreating the heart of the Father, even as I am doing the same. I always feel as if I have his full attention. Isn't that just incredible?! I especially thought about Him today while out running and singing my heart to him as I went. Somehow, I always think that the sun shines brighter when I do...and on a cloudy day, when the clouds part while I'm singing and the sun bursts forth?
Well, it's just too much to take in. He always makes me cry. One day soon, I'll get to sing to Him face to face, and that day, my friend, is one that I'm counting on.
Have a great week. Cheering for you from my bench!
peace~elaine
"Shepherd them towards God." What a great thought!
Melanie@Bella~Mella
What a great illustration of listening actively, Pamela. Yes, He hears. And amen to that!
Thank you for this beautiful prayer too...it spurs me on.
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