Tune In

We went to a concert over the weekend and during a brief intermission a young guy came up to give the crowd a little information about the organization he was representing.  Unfortunately, while he was talking, there were many side conversations going on.  You could hear the rumbling from the crowd more than you could hear the young man on the stage.  I had to really focus on him to hear what he was saying.  This illustrates how life can sometimes get when God is trying to talk to us.  There is so much going on in the world around us that tries to drown out His voice but we have to make an effort to hear Him.  We have to tune out the things that distract us and tune in to God.

In John chapter 10, Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.” He then said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” I think He made the two distinct statements intentionally.  He first said His sheep “hear” His voice.  Hear simply means to perceive a sound. I believe Jesus was saying that we must first recognize that He is speaking.  He then said His sheep “listen” to His voice.  Listen means to pay attention and heed and requires effort.  You can hear something without trying but in order to listen it requires action on our part.

In life, there will always be distractions. There will always be people, places, and things competing for our attention.  But if you want peace, joy, happiness, direction and understanding you have to make the effort to listen to what God is saying.  Take just a moment to tune out the world so that you can tune in to the wonderful, loving, correcting, and uplifting message that God has for you.

You Are Important

Today, I had a dentist appointment to fill in a couple of cavities. It was a very routine procedure. However, today it opened my eyes to even more of God’s awesomeness.  If you have ever had dental work done before, you know that before they begin working on your teeth, they numb the area.  Since my cavities were in teeth on both sides at the top of my mouth, they had to numb the top of my mouth which included my top lip.  I didn’t think it was a big a deal. Sure I looked funny for a while and couldn’t really say words beginning with B, D, M, or P, but I didn’t feel any pain and the procedure went great.  Fast forward about an hour.  I think the numbing gel should be wearing off by now, but it hasn’t and I’m getting hungry and thirsty.  Despite the fact that I can’t move my top lip, I decide to grab a Danish and a cup of water because I am starving.

This is when I realize how awesome God is.  I go to take a sip of water through the straw but can’t manage to get my mouth closed around the straw to actually take in any water.  Totally didn’t expect that to happen.  Next I go to take a bite of my Danish but once again, I can’t close my mouth enough to keep it in there.  You are probably wondering, “How in the world is she thinking that God is awesome when she can’t drink or eat anything right now?  Why is that even relevant?”  Well, believe me it is.

This little incident showed me that something I have taken for granted is actually quite important.  I never ever thought about the purpose of my top lip. It’s always been there, it’s small, and doesn’t seem to do a whole lot.  Well today, I saw that it is much more than what I thought was an insignificant facial feature.  It has a huge purpose.  I eat and drink several times a day. If I had to go without my top lip for longer than the few hours I’ve experienced today, I know my life would be drastically changed.

The reason that I say God is awesome is because out of all of the thousands of body parts we have, each and every single one of them has a purpose.  We may overlook some of them. We may not realize that some of them even exist, yet they are all important.  God took the time out to create and mold each and every one of us into a unique intricate and complex being.  Who wouldn’t be in awe of that?

I’ve said all this to say that you are important. You may feel small and blend in with the background. You may even go unnoticed at times. But know that you have a purpose.  You are important and you are necessary.  Out of all of the billions of people who have walked the face of this earth, God took the time out to create you.  Not only did He create you in His image, but He has a great plan for your life.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Know that you are here for a reason.  I love you and most of all God loves you! You are important!