Calling – Can you hear His voice calling to you?

I have fond memories of my childhood days growing up in a neighborhood full of simple rowhomes, but also a neighborhood rich in both loving families and great friends.  Especially during the summer months, all my time was spent outside playing – hopscotch, roller skating (when you needed to use a key for your skates) and playing games behind our home in the alley.  At dinner time, the call would always come – “Dinner” my mother would shout out from the back door.  My friends and I were always close by and knew we should not delay to return home for the evening meal.  Surprisingly, each of my  playmates received similar callings from their parents to return home; but it was amazing that each of us recognized our own mother’s (or father’s) voice.  I stop to think – Do I recognize my Father’s voice today?  Do I miss His calling for me because I am too busy playing or concentrating on other less important things?  Many times, I do worry that I will missed His voice.  I can only pray that I don’t miss those nudgings and His desires for me, calling for me to be a better person, to be a better disciple, to love more and to obey his voice.  Even in a neighborhood that was always full of the distractions of play, laughter and fun, we never ceased to recognize that calling we each received to return home for our evening meal.  Let us spend time today and this week focusing on recognizing the special calling that comes for each one of us – to return to Him to be fed.  How is He calling you?  It could be to spend more time in prayer, it could be recognizing how He is asking you to make certain choices, or maybe He’s calling you to forgive someone – or maybe to forgive yourself.  So, don’t feel guilty about taking time to play and enjoy the simple pleasures of this life He gave you.  Just be tuned to His voice when he is calling your name for dinner!

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3