God has blessed me with a precious sister in the Lord.  I'm not sure I can put in words what our fellowship has meant to me.  She is funny, yet compassionate.  She always has a ready ear, but never judges.  To me, her life is a wonderful example of what Jesus desires each of us to be for one another.

We recently spent a day together, doing all those things that "girls" do when they get together - you know - getting our hair done, shopping, giggling, and crying.  Because I know she listens to Christ and is obedient to His voice, I never fear sharing my heart with her.  It is for that reason that I was seeking her advice on something.  After explaining my situation, I turned to her and said, "Speak Lord."

I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it surprised her that I said it as much as it surprised me that those words came out of my mouth.  After a second of looking at each other in astonishment, we both broke out in uncontrollable laughter!  To this day, when I think of that, it brings a smile to my lips and a chuckle to my spirit.

It also released a teaching from my heart.  So Cindy, this one's for you with love and thanks for being my friend!

We were having company staying in our home for a couple of weeks,  While they were here we experienced some plumbing problems, so needless to say our "normal" routine was far from "normal."

I remember one particular day standing at the kitchen sink cleaning up after lunch when I heard someone calling my name.  Assuming it was one of my family, I answered in my gentle, compassionate motherly reply, "WHAAAAAT?"

No one answered so I shrugged it off, thinking that whatever the need had been, it had been resolved without my wisdom.

Later that afternoon while I was upstairs in our bedroom, someone called my name again.  Once more I drew from my unlimited vocabulary and hollered out, "YEESSS?"  Again, no answer.

The third time this happened, I decided on a more articulate response, "WHO IS THIS AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?"  Silence.

Deciding it was time to get to the bottom of this silly prank, I went down stairs to interrogate my family.  However, even with the threat of liver and onions for dinner for the next week, all stood firm to their confessions that it had not been them.

"All right then.  If it hasn't been one of you, who is calling out my name?"  No one seemed to have an answer for me, but later than evening I did catch them looking in the yellow pages under "Mental Health Programs."

I endured several days of good-natured teasing about my "encounters" and received what seemed to me to be an unusual amount of advertisements in the mail on hearing aids.

No, I have not since experienced another day like that one.  But I have thought of it often.  Was it simply "one of those days:" when all the commotion of company and plugged drains made everything seem more chaotic?  Or had it been more than that?

What if indeed Someone had been calling me, wanting to get my attention?  What if it had been God wanting me to slow down and spend some time with Him away from all the daily wear and tear?  What if He wanted to give me a word that would forever change my life?

"Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli...and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord...and the Lord called Samuel; and he (Samuel) said, 'Here I am.'"

"Then he ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.'  But Eli said, 'I did not call, lie down again.'  So he went and lay down."  (1 Samuel 3)

Three times God called out to Samuel and three times Samuel ran to Eli, thinking that Eli was summoning him.  Finally Eli understands that it is God calling to Samuel and he instructs Samuel to go lie down and when God speaks to Samuel again, Samuel is to answer by saying, "Speak Lord, for Thy servant is listening."

Samuel is obedient and when God again calls to him, he answers as Eli instructed him.  God speaks words to Samuel that place a prophetic calling on his life!   God speaks words that give Samuel his purpose and his destiny!!

How may times has God wanted to speak to us and we've been too busy or distracted to hear Him?  How many times have we assumed that what we hear is not God, but someone in the world around us?  How many times have we run to "Eli" first, only to find out that it was not "Eli" that called us?

"Oh Lord, may our spirits be so in tune with You that when we hear our name, we recognize Your voice and answer by saying, "Speak, Lord."  May we always be Your servants - listening for Your words - words that give us purpose and destiny!"