"Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. "When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel! "Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3: 9-10).
Responding to God's voice and immediately offering yourself as a servant to the Lord is one of the reflection readings today. This whole week has been the same theme...hearing God's voice, saying yes to his call, doing his will. While reflecting on what Samuel must have been thinking when God called him, I can think of one specific instance where I heard God calling me into service and I continuously ignored, explained away, or flat out refused. Nursing, that is where he was calling me. The first time I heard the call was at 16, then again at 20, AND again at 23, and then at 29 years of age, 13 years after he first called me to consider nursing did I listen. I had a hosts of excuses and reasons why that did not align w what I wanted, I being the operative word. However as soon as I got out of his way, he opened door after door, so many doors no human mind could explain away. All of the blessings falling upon my head to help me realize his and I guess, to a lesser extent, my dream. Why can't I be more like Mary, mother of Jesus, who when called said "May what you said be done to me", or Samuel who once he finally recognized God's voice said "I am your servant lead me where you want me". Why Must I kick, scream, and ignore him before I relinquish control of my life. I think for me it fundamentally comes down to my level of trust in him. The only ways I have seen faith increased in my life have been in hindsight and usually after a major temper tantrum with God. When I have been silent and seek him I hear him more clearly, see more plainly where he is leading me. When I diligently carry out what he is asking me to do the first time he asks without argument, well I am still working towards that…"Hey, I am a work in progress". What I do know is the less resistance I give him, the more blessing I receive. Once I become a willing, servant of the Lord, he will increase my faith, responsibility, and will heap upon me more favor than I deserve in a lifetime. How about you? Are you training your ears to hear God's call? Are you prepared to answer the first time when he comes a calling? Leave the temper tantrums, and arguments out of your conversations with God and watch where he takes you.
Keep on trucking.
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