day sixteen: praying BIG is listening well.

The sweetest moments in my life have been the ones where I have clearly heard God's voice.  I'll never forget them.  That time at Frontier Ranch as a the summer after my freshman year of high school. The time I was in my bedroom as a senior in college at Appalachian when I was heartbroken.  The time Brett and I were engaged.  The time I was sitting in the recliner in our tiny little first home. (400 square feet. :)) The night that Karis was born as I watched Brett sing over her.

I forget WAY too often that prayer is a conversation and that that means LISTENING as much as talking.  Or maybe even listening MORE than talking.  After all, as they say, we have two ears and just one mouth.  Eek.  That's convicting.

Tonight I wonder what kind of BIG things the Lord would be doing in my life if I would just listen.

"[The Shepherd] calls His own sheep BY NAME and LEADS THEM out. When He has brought out all His own, He GOES ON AHEAD OF THEM, and His sheep FOLLOW Him because they KNOW HIS VOICE."

John 10:3-4

If I would listen, I would hear the kindness and gentleness in His voice of Him calling me BY NAME.  If I would listen, I would have peace in hearing Him leading me and telling me which way to go.  If I would listen, I would experience comfort as I watch as He GOES AHEAD OF ME.  If I would listen, I would FOLLOW because I would KNOW HIS VOICE and know Him to be my Good Shepherd.

(I don't have any pictures for this post so this is my best effort. It's no Sidney Scott, but it'll do. :))

This is a prayer that I pray often--His voice the loudest--but I don't stop often enough to make the space to LISTEN.  So tonight while I do the dishes and laundry and vacuum I'm going to make space.  And then I'm going to set aside 15 minutes just to "sit and stare at the wall" as I like to call it.  Just empty space for Jesus to come in.

COME, LORD JESUS, COME.