Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: On the Telephone (11/18/10)
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TITLE: SHOUT to the Lord? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Barbara Culler
11/24/10 -
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“Can you hear me now?”
Mrs. Hattie, this is…” (Speaks even louder)
Mrs. Ha…” (Shouts into the phone)
“Can you hear me now?”
“Oh good. Mrs. Hattie, this is Dana Wagner from Senior Health HMO. I was calling to see how you are doing. Has your blood pressure been okay………?”
“Can you hear me now?” became a recurring theme at my place of employment, given the geriatric population that we worked with. Quarterly phone contact with each of our assigned clients was the focal point of the job, and sometimes, getting through to certain members could be very challenging, due to their hearing impairments. My colleagues and I worked in a large room that could be considered a call center, but it was the branch office of the HMO, and there was no room for separate offices, so we heard each others’ phone conversations. When a co-worker yelled “Can you hear me know?” we all chuckled in empathy.
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Thinking on the handicap of not being able to hear on the phone, I pondered how it would be if God had to repeatedly shout at us before we heard Him. How much louder would He speak before He decided we were not hearing Him? What if we had to keep repeating ourselves to God before He heard us?
Recorded in the Book of Psalms, David explains that God hears and acknowledges those who know Him:
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:18-19 NIV
Realize that God’s hearing is contingent on us knowing Him, and calling out for Him. When God calls to us, we may not always hear or accept His voice, but He knows our hearts and will continue “calling” until we finally give Him our attention. God may need to “yell” for us to hear Him, but He does not hang up on those who know who He is.
When I was finally able to connect with my clients who had difficulty hearing over the phone, I continued to speak loudly so that they could understand what I was trying to communicate. Yelling into the telephone may not be the most charming way of conversing, but my intentions were made known, and the persons I spoke with felt accepted and cared for. In like manner, God communicates with His people and they know that He hears their needs and are comforted.
And if we know that He hears us-whatever we ask-
we know that we have what we asked of Him.
1 John 5:14-15 NIV
Isn’t it wonderful that when we talk with God, He hears us and we don’t need to shout “Can you hear me now?”
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polish it up a touch and add a prayer you should submit it to a devotion magazine. You make such a great point and you demonstrated it in a way everyone can relate to. Good job.
You presented the material well, with great "non-preachy" examples. Your last sentence was a great final take-a-way.