Tracy Earl Welliver

Today’s first reading from 1 Samuel always sparks my imagination. Samuel is repeatedly called by God, but instead he thinks it is Eli calling him. God wakes him from sleep each time and he runs to Eli and say, “Here I am. You called me.” Finally, Samuel takes Eli’s advice and answers at the last call, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Can you imagine being called in the middle of the night, waking up from your sleep, and then not knowing who was calling you?

This morning, I called my youngest son THREE TIMES to get up and get ready for school. Do you think he got up and ran to me saying, “Here I am. You called me?” Not a chance. And he certainly didn’t respond with, “Your servant is listening.” In fact, he wasn’t listening at all. If it was God calling this morning instead of me, do you think then he might have responded? All I can say is, “Good luck, God!”

God doesn’t always call us as clearly as He did Samuel. However, too often God does call us and we mistake the call for something else. We don’t respond due to fear, lack of self-esteem, laziness, or even total misunderstanding. We look and look for signs that may have been there all along. Our senses are dulled to His calling by all the noise and stuff the world piles on us.

By cultivating a life of prayer and study, we slowly become more aware and mindful of God speaking in our lives. A day not reflected on can too easily fade away, taking with it great possibilities and opportunities. Today and every day, make a conscious decision to be more aware of all the surrounds you and invite God into all the places you go. And when he calls, trust that He has something important for you. Respond accordingly. Whatever you do, DON’T STAY IN BED!