Speak, Lord, We Are Listening

I have been consistently starting my day with a devotional, prayer, and quiet time like I talked about last week. It amazes me how, so much of the time, each devotional feels like it was written just for me. Do you experience this, too? I'm sure you do.

Isn't it SO awesome how God is able to speak to us? Even when we are dealing with things that no one else knows about, God knows. He cares about us and wants to help us through it.

God has used so many different things to speak to me throughout my life. I love how He is able to communicate with us even though we aren't able to audibly hear His voice. He uses the Bible, the tuggings and nudgings in our heart, and even that still, small voice we feel/hear within ourselves.

I know that I've heard from many people who say that they've never heard from God.

Be still.

Wait.

Listen.

Most likely, you will not hear an audible voice but pay attention to the things I listed above. I've even had what felt like bells or alarms ringing in my head as a "wake up and pay attention" kind of message.

I don't think God only speaks to certain "special" people. He speaks to us all. We just need to recognize that it is God speaking and trying to get our attention.

We also need to slow down and listen.

Sometimes, I am guilty of being busy and not hearing one of my kids when they are talking to me. I'm not ignoring them, I just truly don't hear them because I am thinking about other things and trying to rush around and accomplish my plans. They are talking but I just don't hear them.

It's the same thing with hearing God speak to us. He talks but we just don't hear Him because we are thinking about other things and trying to rush around and accomplish our plans.

I urge you to take time to listen. I know that it is hard in the world we live in today. There is not a lot of "quiet" time to be had but if nothing else, quiet your soul and think on the Lord. We don't need to be in actual quiet to hear Him.

Just be listening ...

God has SO much to tell us. He wants to help us through this crazy life. He WILL help us if we let Him.

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

Simplify

Today is the first day back to "real life" for me. The girls are back at school, my hubby is back at work, and I am "working" as well. To be honest, I'm glad we are back to our normal routine. I've never been a routine kind of person. But after a week of willy-nilly, I can honestly say that I enjoy the routine of daily life - at least as long as I have young children.

I always mistakenly think "Oh good, we're on vacation!" As in I think "I'm" on vacation. Ha, ha! Anyone with young children knows how foolish that thought is. As moms we are never on vacation. We are constantly caring for others and doing things. I think this is why I no longer enjoy Christmas vacation. I try my hardest to rest and relax and all that really happens is I fall further behind - in housework, in laundry, in everything. And I'm really not even getting the real kind of rest I am so desperately seeking.

I don't make New Year's resolutions but this next year I resolve not to let myself get into the mindset of being on Christmas vacation. It only depresses me, stresses me, and makes me miserable. I'll have to come up with my own little vacation somehow, someway - even if it is only for a couple of hours alone. :) Hmmmm ... maybe something like REFRESH? ;)


So, with that being said, here we are in January. The start of 2012. It is time for me to reorganize, to simplify, to re-figure things out. Do you feel that way, too, at this time of year? I need to clean things up and make things simpler. Sadly, I always try do it all at once ... Clean the cupboards, reorganize our schedules, re-figure our finances, straighten out my kids :), re-establish good devotional habits for myself and my family, the list goes on ...

Trying to revamp your entire life to make things simpler is NOT simple. It is stressful and most always ends up ruining any bit of progress I make. This year I am going to strive to simplify my life in a simpler way. Each month I will work on a different area of my life. I will spend that month re-organizing, working out a plan and putting that plan into motion.

The first three months I plan to work on the most important things in my life - my relationship with God, my hubby, and my kids (in that order). After these things are taken care of, everything else tends to fall into place and don't seem all that important.

So this January, I am going to start each day in the Word and spending time with God. I know this is what I need to do. I try multiple times every year to set up a routine but I always fail. I'm not a morning person and so waking up early is never at the top of my list of things I like to do. I get lazy, I get busy, I just don't do it. This year I hope to do differently. I think I'll start out slow but consistent. I think I can wake up 10 minutes earlier to start with. Eventually, I'll work my way into it. I know that once I see and feel the benefit, it will get easier. (Just like weight loss ;)

I am also going to encourage my girls to start their day in the same way. If they can establish this habit at a young age then they will not struggle as much when they are older. They make some great devotionasl for kids. Now that they can read on their own, this is something they should be able to do on their own. Will it be hard to encourage this behavior in them? Oh, I'm sure it will be. They still are unclear with the fact that they need to brush their teeth and hair every morning. Sigh ... But someday it will all sink in and they will realize how important it is to spend time with God ... and hopefully to have nice hair and teeth. ;)

Lastly, I am going to start having a devotional time with my boys. It may just be reading Bible stories or portions of their children's Bibles. But I want them to learn and love the Bible so that when they are old enough to read, they, too, will start their day with God.

Don't think that we live in a heathen household because we don't. We talk about God and the Bible. I try to make God a part of every area of our lives - because, well, He is. I just want to establish really good, solid habits in myself and my kids. I want them to see the benefit of starting their day with God and to see how important it is to have a relationship with Him. It's great to know about Him but I want them to know Him.

I challenge you also to start some new changes with your (and your family's) walk with God. Maybe a consistent devotional time is not something you struggle with but I know there is always some area that we can improve on in our relationship with God. Take inventory. Figure out what the next step is and do it. Bring your family along, too.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

I hope to encourage you to start your year with God. What a great way to start!!