Thoughts from Saturday Night Service at St. Pauls Presbyterian. Mark, one of the pastors at the church, did a segment during the sermon (about hearing from God), and a couple of things really struck me: 1. An analogy he used was a beach he goes to every year where the water is incredibly clear, and he can see straight through it for several meters all around him (no sharks sneaking up on him!). But one year he went and the waters were all churned up from a storm, making it impossible to see through the waters at all. So are our lives when we are in the midst of storms. When we’re all churned up, we can’t see what’s around us, nor where to go next. But if we withdraw to a quiet place (have a cup of tea, says the Brit) and let things settle a little (surrender, relax, pray) the waters become more clear and it’s easier to see. It’s such a perfect analogy for when we’re in a storm. I love it! 2. The other point he made was that it’s God’s responsibility to speak loudly enough for me to hear. One of the things I wonder about is if I’ve missed God’s whisper. Did He speak and I didn’t hear Him? But Mark pointed out that God wants us to hear His voice, so He will speak loudly enough for me to hear Him. Now, if I’m off doing my own thing and not paying attention or making any effort to listen, I can still miss his voice (kind of how my son “misses” hearing my voice when he’s playing or watching Veggie Tales). But if I’m truly listening and paying attention, it’s God’s responsibility to speak loudly enough for me to hear. And He knows just how loud is loud enough. Those were two points that really hit home for me, speaking to areas of my life where I struggle. Yeah God!