Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’* and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ –I Samuel 3:4-6
Samuel hears a voice calling him. He assumes the voice belongs to his mentor Eli, but it does not. The voice calls again, and then a third time. Finally, Samuel and Eli realize the voice is coming from God.
We hear the voice of God in many ways–sometimes in a dream, sometimes through the words of scripture, sometimes as we pray and meditate. Often we hear the voice of God calling to us through ordinary human conversations. A friend speaks a word of hope we desperately need to hear; a stranger points us to a fresh perspective; a conversation leads us to a truth we could never discover on our own.
Today, or sometime this weekend, make a phone call you might not otherwise make. Call a church member you haven’t seen in a few weeks, just to check in. Call a family member who lives out of town, just to say hi. Call an old friend and catch up on the news.
Perhaps, through the conversation, you will both hear the voice of God.
Awaken us, O God, to your voice calling us on the phone. Amen.