I laid in bed, listening. I was tired enough to fall asleep right away, but I for the first time in months, I was really interested to hear what was going on outside. Crrrrrrr. Crrrrrrrr, klink. I heard the motor-operated gate of our apartmen complex open and close for a car coming through. Then a little melody: the cell phone of one of the security guards. Crrrrrsh, beep, unintelligible speech. The guard’s 2-way radio. Clickclickclick… The other guard coasting by on his bicycle on one of his nightly rounds in our complex. Behind all of those sounds was the constant whistle of some cricket-like creature.
I think what you hear at night and what I hear at night are pretty different.
I’ve always been an early-to-bed person, which allows me to get up early. I’m not very good for any sort of productivity after 8 pm (unless I’ve had coffee after 3). I have a hard time talking straight after 9, and after 10, most things stop making sense!
Here in Cali, the sounds seem to be 24-hour sounds. Thankfully my ears have grown accustomed and the sounds no longer keep me awake.
I think we’re all in danger of tuning out sounds that are constant.
We, as children of God, have an amazing privilege: Hearing the voice of God.
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:37
But sometimes we need to stop and pay more attention to the sounds that are so constant that we tune out.
It’s a simple reminder for today. Prayer is not a one-way conversation. Consciously stop and ask the Father, “What do You have to say to me?”