Well-loved Voices

Every morning, one of the first things I do is open the iPad to check emails. I’m not wedded to work or looking for anything other than emails from those I love. 

This morning was a red-letter morning, with about four connections from ‘children’ who have flown the nest a long time ago. Good news of a hedgehog which has moved into a woodpile in the garden. A slug-eating hedgehog, in the garden of my dear daughter-in-law who has a phobia of anything without legs. Confirmation of a BBQ to look forward to next month. (Expect rain now, on the 14^th of June. Sorry.) News from LA of frantic busyness interspersed by moments of fun and relaxation. I love the instant communication of the internet. 

Psalm 5 has a verse in it which reminds me that God is attentive every morning, too, hoping to hear from me: ‘In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.’ 

That blows my mind. Billions of people in the world and yet every morning, the Lord is longing to hear my voice, and even more than that, he is ready to answer my requests. The tragedy is that so many times, we blurt out our needs to God with little hope, let alone expectation, of seeing his answers. His answers can come in such a variety of ways that we need to stay alert in order to recognise them. He may answer in the way we hope or he may answer in a completely creative and different way. But whatever way the answer comes, it will come, and it will be good, because our God is a good God.

I may have mentioned already that I heard Biblical hope defined as the ‘joyful anticipation of receiving something good from God’. 

I have raised my voice to the Lord this morning and given him a few requests. Now my prayer is that I remain alert and receptive to the answers which are already given.

I love the voices of my kids coming through their emails. Isn’t it amazing that God loves the voices of his kids too – and to connect with us he doesn’t require any technology or anything more special than the heart and voice he gave each one of us.