Guest Blogger: Emmy- Can You Hear Me Now?

Hi Friends! I'd like to introduce you to today's Guest Blogger, Emmy. Em and I met through River City Player's Community Theatre. She played "Naomi Farkle" in Faith County! Since the play we have become close friends and are growing closer all the time. Our favorite hang-out place is Starbucks, where the barista's get worried when we don't come by weekly! When she's not busy with her full time job as a Youth Minister at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Emily is also a seasoned blogger on her site, Love Woke Me Up This Morning. She is also on Twitter and Facebook! Stalk away Facebook Friends! :) Welcome, Emmy!

Em and I before Faith County!

On Sunday mornings I teach two Sunday School classes. When you are a church worker - things like that happen. My second class is for elementary school age children, and we're only just starting with this class so it's pretty small right now. I have two girls who come pretty regularly and both are in third grade. Considering that I work mainly with teenagers, having to teach two third grade girls scared me a bit. I don't know what to do with kids under the age of eleven. But as time has gone on, I've really come to love teaching these two girls.

Yesterday, we were talking about waiting on God's timing and how we need to wait for God to work things out in his own way and to reveal his way to us. Naturally, one of the girls asked me "How do you know if God is talking to you?"

This question always stumps me. Other than actually trying to describe fully God's love for us - this question is one of the toughest I find answering. 

For the two little girls I talked about how if we get to know God (examples: reading our Bibles, praying, worshiping, etc.) then we'll be able to hear his voice more accurately. Even though it's not really an audible voice. You just... know he's talking to you. I also shared that God talks to us through friends and family, music, books, the Bible, and through other things as well. Thankfully, the girls accepted that answer and we moved on.

But I can't help but wonder, is that really how it goes? The more we read our Bibles, worship, and pray, the better we'll hear God's voice? It makes sense. But I can't help but think about people in the Bible who may or may not have done these things and still heard him.

Like Abraham. He actually was an idol worshiper when God called him - and they didn't have the scriptures then - so I'm pretty sure he didn't hear God's voice because he prayed all the time.

Or Moses. Was he always a faithful follower and therefore able to accurately hear God's voice? Granted - having a burning bush right in front of you helps.

What about Elijah? He was a faithful man, but the Bible says he heard God in the sound of a gentle whisper. I don't know about you, but I have bad hearing sometimes and whispers are hard to catch.

Yet, I know it happens. I know that God speaks to us all of the time. It may not be an audible voice (even if that's what we want), but he still speaks to us. Sometimes for me it's in silence, something my heart I think is telling me, through holy communion, through my friends and family, through books, through music...

So I ask you all, how do you personally know when God is talking to you? What ways does he speak to you? If someone were to ask you about how God communicates, how would you answer?