Can You Hear Him?

Every happening, great or small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.

Malcolm Muggeridge

When my kids were little I was easily frustrated. Sticky smudges on the furniture, toys strewn all over the place, constant needs and questions and crying and poop. . .it all contributed to a grouchy mama who wasn't always careful with her tongue.

God nailed me when I watched a video by Christian speaker Florence Littauer. She described a special package she prepared for her mother, specifically wrapping it in shiny silver paper. The point of the gift was to show her mother her value. She went on to say we should think of our words as silver boxes, used to build up other's self-esteem. I remember being impressed by her insight, but also discouraged by how I talked to my children. God spoke clearly through the words of another.

But He wasn't done with me yet.

Later that week I sat in church, exasperated by the interruptions of my kids, dreaming of the day I could actually catch the entire sermon. At one point my daughter poked me and whispered, "Here, Mommy, I have a present for you," and handed me a little scrap of paper. I was ready to give my standard, "Thank you, honey" and add it to the vast collection of such papers in my purse until I looked at it.

It was literally a picture of a present, colored with a silver crayon. You think God wanted my attention?!

I gotta say God has flair, doesn't He? But He doesn't need it to speak to us. He gets His Word out in so many ways. He's spoken to me in a sunset, in worship, in surprise gifts left on my porch, in His word, through a baby's laugh, in the shower, in unexpected comments from others, in the midst of a snowstorm, even in a movie theater.

Knowing God is poised to speak at any time puts a little skip in my beat, how about you?

I'm glad for the reminder to look for His messages. When I think about the possibility of finding God in my every day, life doesn't seem so mundane any more. Knowing He may speak to me while I'm waiting in a doctor's office or helping my kids with homework makes it all seem less routine, more exciting. The fact that He might show up on a plain old Tuesday makes life more enjoyable to me somehow, less ho-hum. At any time the ordinary could become extraordinary. Now there's something to get up for in the morning! When we keep our noses in the Word, and our eyes and ears open for His message, who knows what a day will bring.

What d'ya say? Are you in?

Join our hostess of In "Other" Words today, Kathryn, at Expectant Hearts.