This morning it is cooler in the land of pine trees and lakes.  I sit on my screen porch, Gideon Bible study (Priscilla Shirer) at hand and a listening ear for my sweet dear hubby who is feeling very much under the weather today.  I don’t like when those I love are sick.  I feel so out of control.

My thoughts today are on what Beth Moore calls “God Stops”.  Those times when God shows up in the lives of His children and more often than not, we don’t recognize Him.  Let me quote Priscilla, “I wonder how often God has been near, but I haven’t noticed because I assumed that His nearness would always be coupled with astonishing circumstances.”  Have our spiritual ears become dull? 

In 1Samuel 3, we read the story of the Lord speaking to Samuel for the first time.  Unlike us, Samuel didn’t have the Holy Spirit with him continually and the closed canon of His Word available in every format imaginable.  In verse 7 it says, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.  What he did have though was a godly mentor.  Time after time that night, the Lord called and Samuel mistook Him for Eli.  Matter of fact, 3 times before Eli realized that God wanted to speak to Samuel.  On that fourth time, Samuel said, ” Yes, Lord, your servant is listening. 

I want Samuel ears.  I want to hear God when He speaks.  I want to see Him working in my life. 
In the rush of the day, I fear I miss God’s presence. I am comforted by this passage though.  Samuel didn’t miss what God wanted to say.  In God’s compassion and love He kept speaking. 

Until we visit again,
Be blessed,
Carmen