MY FATHER'S VOICE

MY FATHER’S VOICE

…the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” (1 Samuel 3:4 NASB)

Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” (1Samuel 3:10 NASB)

The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word. (1 Samuel 3:21 NIV)

The day was mild, the February sun warm on my face. A late afternoon breeze rustled the trees, their leaves waving a glad greeting as we walked beneath the stately boughs. Children ran and played, their laughter filling the air as Elizabeth and I walked through the park. We chatted about life and hopes and dreams, as mothers and daughters are known to do, when a scene up ahead caught my attention.

A man stood on the grass as he called several names. “Come,” he called. I followed his gaze; watching to see who belonged to him. The father called the names again. I watched as two boys on bicycles looked his way and then proceeded to ride in the opposite direction as fast as their legs would pedal. A younger boy of about 7 stood on the grass nearby, feeding ducks as his father called his name. “I want to feed the ducks!” he replied without so much as a glance in his father’s direction.

While two sons pedaled away, pretending they hadn’t heard their father’s voice, and another stubbornly continued feeding ducks, a fourth son, the youngest, who appeared to be no more than four years of age, had come and was quietly waiting at his father’s feet.

The father looked down as he softly said the small boy’s name. The boy’s face lit up at the sound of his father’s voice. I watched as the father bent down, speaking quietly, words meant for the one who responded to his call. The little boy leaned in until his forehead rested against his father’s face; all the while the father continued speaking. Then he wrapped the boy in his arms and gently lifted him off the ground and began walking along the edge of the water in deep conversation with his son.

A short while later as Elizabeth and I turned to head home, I spotted the father. He was sitting on a large boulder at the water’s edge, his young son nestled in against him. The father pointed at something out on the water as the little boy listened to his every word. My eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of the wayward sons, but they were nowhere to be seen; they were too busy; too distracted to come when their father called. And oh what they were missing. The scene captivated me, and I tucked the picture into a corner of my heart to ponder later.

That night something stirred me to wakefulness and I sat up, tilting my head to one side as I listened. I was about to lay back down when I heard it; that still small voice whispering to my heart, “Come,” He said. In that moment the little boy who had responded to his father’s voice came to mind, and I so wanted to be like him. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I left the warmth of my bed, grabbed my Bible and headed off to the Well.

I arrived to find Him whom my soul loves waiting for me. I told Him all about the father who had called his sons. He listened as I spoke of the two who had pretended not to hear their father’s voice and rode away; then there was the third son who had stubbornly stayed where he was feeding ducks. At last my favorite part came and my heart was breathless as I told him about the youngest boy who had stood in quiet expectation at his father’s feet.

His eyes shone with memories of eternity past as He carried my heart to His Word. We stopped in 1 Samuel 3 where He told me about a boy named Samuel. He had called Samuel’s name, and once Samuel knew Who it was that was calling him, he said, “Here I am.” We read on until He stopped me again at verse 21. I read it over and over again.

The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word. (1 Samuel 3:21 NIV)

“Lord,” I whispered. “Yes,” He replied. “Lord, thank you for revealing yourself to me through your Word. Thank you for calling my name. Help me to be like Samuel and be listening for your voice and to have a heart that is quick to say, ‘Here I am.’”

We lingered there for a while as His words of truth wove themselves into the fabric of my heart.
Then, in the stillness, He who loves me called my name. He bent down until I could feel His very breath, and my heart leaned in until it rested in His presence. Joy!

My dear friend, what is your response when the Father calls your name? Do you pretend not to hear and ride off to the next task as fast as your legs will go? Do you say, “Wait, Lord, I’m feeding these ministry ducks and I’ll meet with you as soon as I’m finished.” Or do you have a heart like Samuel’s that is quick to say “Here I am.” Oh the wonder that awaits in the quietness of His presence.

An Original Conversations at the Well
By Diana Morgan
© February 11, 2011