Can You Hear Me Now?

Can You Hear Me Now?
Remember Maxwell Smart in the "Get Smart" series -- speaking into his shoe "Can you hear me?" And that line is also from the cell phone commercial that indicates bad cell coverage. But, I wonder how many times we've used that line with our kids.

"I said for the 3rd, 4th and 5th time......
'Did you clean your room?'"
"Did you do your homework?"
"Did you take out the trash?"
"Did you empty the dishwasher?"

Like most mothers, I had my "Can you hear me?" I sounded like a broken record. Eventually, the words became, "What part of what I'm asking is unclear?" "Are you listening to me?" "Learning responsibility is a good thing."

The point I'm making in this post is the "Can you hear me?" Those are words that I know our Father God must say to us time and time again, but we're so encumbered by so much "noise" going on in our lives -- the TV, telephone, radio, computer, social media, overburdened with to do's, and thinking about everything except for tuning in to the Master Speaker in our lives. How often God must say to me, "Donna, are you listening to Me?" And, my mind is everywhere except for keeping my ears open to His voice.

The fact is, we haven't been listening. And, like our kids many times, oh, we hear, but we're just not obeying. In fact, we may be as guilty as our kids are when we've told them time and time again to do something.....and they totally act like they never heard it.

So often, the things we say to our children are the very things God wants us — His children — to hear:
“Be still.”
“I’m the parent and you're the child -- that's why!"
“If you had paid attention to me, you would have avoided that mess.”
“Please, just trust Me. I know what's best for you.”

I have some really good news for us.....we CAN hear God's voice. The Bible, God's love letter to mankind, makes it clear that we were created to have two-way communication with Him. Jesus tells us in John 10:27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

Oh, I'm definitely hearing His voice these days. He's asking me to be still and wait on His timing. He's asking me to trust and know that He is God. And, more than anything else, God wants us to hear that He loves us.

My prayer for you and I today is: "Dear God, help us to listen carefully to what You have to say to us. Like we desire from OUR children, help us to hear and respond the first time you call on us with obedience and joy. Please help us to be first-timers -- first responders to YOUR voice. Amid all the craziness of this world and the busyness in our own little worlds, may we tune in to YOUR frequency, your voice -- whether it's your still, small voice or your obvious loud and clear voice.....not eventually, but immediately! Thank you for your patience as our loving Father! Amen.

Who Responds to Your Voice?

My son and family received an "Echo" as a gift from one of their closest friends, David and Danielle Limp. David is Senior Vice President of Devices at Amazon. He oversees the development of everything from the Kindle to Fire phone to the Echo device. This last Christmas, Ryan and Shawntel gave Staci and family an Echo. Now both my families have this new technology in their homes.

Echo is a 9.25-inch tall cylinder speaker. By the way, her name is Alexa, and she is a hands-free, voice response system that is always connected and ready to respond to her name....and she's fast. You don't have to be as close as this little girl is in the photo -- you can be across the room. You just say "Alexa" (and give her a command or request and she'll play audiobooks, give your upcoming schedule, dim a light switch, turn on a fan, add to your shopping list, tell you who the 30th president of the U.S. is and can answer just about any question you may have. She'll tell you sports' scores, the news, weather, Wikipedia facts, definitions, answers. She's an alarm and a timer. But, for Alexa to respond.....you have to call out her name.

How many times do we call out our kids' names to come into the house, or take a bath, or do their homework or empty the dishwasher? Oh, that their voice response system was a responsive as Alexa.

And there's the cell phone commercial where the guy is moving about trying to get a clear connection and he says "Can you hear me now?"

I can assure you of ONE far above any other name who does respond when we call on Him. The airways are clear -- no interference. God truly loves those that are His. He loves you and me! Listen to what He says for those who call upon Him:

Psalm 50:15 “and CALL ON ME in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

Psalm 91:14-15 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will CALL ON ME, and I will answer him;

Jeremiah 33:3 “CALL TO ME and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

#CallOnMe #HeAnswers