‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ John 10:1-5.
The voice is an instrument that can color the moment and generate a human response. Think about the voices you have heard.
Not all voices open peaceful places in our hearts. Some voices are intrusive or annoying. Some strike terror and pain. But then, there are the ones that speak words of guidance, calling us by name and shepherding us through this world to the deep heart of God -- to a place of love and safe shelter.
Once I was under the care of a doctor whose voice was an instrument of comfort. While waiting for his appearance, I often would detect his voice speaking to others outside the room. He hadn't done anything for me, yet, but even the sound of his voice put me at ease. His voice helped to move me through my own racing thoughts and fears to a place where I could experience trust and peace.
Another memory: the voice of one gentle old man, Millard. I sat next to him in choir. When he sang, his voice was a mere shadow of the vibrant tenor tones of his younger days. However, when he prayed, the pulse of his faith opened the chamber of his heart and the love and gratitude he expressed was compelling. Often I would simply listen to the tender cadence of Millard's voice and follow it silently, just as a sheep sometimes follows the one walking before it. His prayer, I believe, was so focused upon Christ, that his voice was a guiding hand for MY heart. He knew the voice of the Good Shepherd much more accurately than I did at that time in my life, and I continue to be grateful for the way he led me (without even realizing it) to a recognition of Christ.
In the midst of the cacophony of voices in the world as well as the interior spaces where fear and doubt prevail, the children of God hear the Good Shepherd. Sometimes we can't discern it by ourselves. We are wise to follow the steps of one of the other faithful who have been given to us to help find our way to safe pastures.
Are there people in your life who amplify God's Voice for you?
4 comments:
Absolutely yes.
I have a friend who is a gifted spiritual director and she talks about people who respond to her voice, and those are the ones whom she companions. Not everyone responds to her voice in that way, and that is how it is meant to be we believe.
Also, the passage of the Good Shepherd reminds me of when I visited Ireland. One of my favorite parts was seeing so many sheep. I witnessed a young sheep lost (actually it only thought it was lost) distrought, bleeting for its mother, and finally the mother (recognizing the voice of its baby) returned. It was beautiful.
The wonderful thing, too, is that our voices aren't always "heard" as sounds. Sometimes the written word falls upon the heart and is heard in a deep, sensitive spot where new life is fluttering.
Living Words.... ahhhh.... comfort, counsel, companionship, creative
The older I get the harder it is for me to be in a group of people and "hear" what is being said in front of me. I think it's about the anatomy of the ear and the aging process. If there is a loud voice somewhere else in the room I have to concentrate on paying attention to who is speaking to me, right in front of me, rather than diverting my gaze and attention to that which is louder and not directed at me. So here I am thinking, of course, about listening to God rather than the noisy voices all around me that seek to divert my attention.
I laugh.... sometimes those hearing aids are more for filtering out extraneous sound than for amplification!
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