"my sheep hear my voice..."

I just returned from a family wedding in Toledo, Ohio (where Molly's from). It was a great time to be with people we love and, of course, Abby was the center of attention. She was a real trooper too, considering she had two nights in a row of staying up way past her bedtime. One of these nights provided a great lesson of what it is to hear and know the voice of our Heavenly Father.

By the end of the rehearsal dinner, Abby was beginning to melt down. She was tired and getting fussy and by the time I hauled her out to the car to head home, she was all out wailing. The rest of the family was still at dinner, but I volunteered to take her home.

As we started driving, nothing would calm her down. I rolled the windows down. Nothing. I blasted the radio. She stopped crying, but only for a few seconds. Finally, I rolled the windows up and turned off the radio and just began to sing. As I sang a few made up songs and a few favorite hymns, Abby calmed down. By the time we got home, she was totally chilled and ready for bed.

This was obviously a very sweet moment, but what popped in my head was this: "My sheep hear my voice" (John 10:27). It wasn't until Abby heard a familiar, fatherly voice that she was able to rest and relax. And often, it's not until you and I hear the familiar voice of our Father God that we really can quit from our worry and anxiety and striving and stress. We have a Father who is in our midst, "a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

Oh that we would hear the voice of our Heavenly Father and rest.