God Speaks

This past Sunday I taught a 4 year old Sunday School class the story of 1 Samuel 3. That's the story where God talks to Samuel as a little boy while he is sleeping -- you know the one where he keeps running to Eli thinking Eli called him, until Eli finally tells Samuel God must be trying to talk to him.

The kids loved watching me pull on a pajama shirt over my clothes, lay down on the floor with my pillow and blanket and pretend snore, while they shouted out, "Samuel! Samuel!" And I pray they left having internalized the concept of listening to God and obeying Him.

But seriously, the whole concept of God speaking is hard for adults to grasp!

Actually the topic is one I've thought a lot about over the last few years. As a Christian you hear people often say, "God told me. . ." or "God showed me. . ."

But, really, how does that happen? Do you believe it does? Does God speak to people in this day and age like he did many people in the Bible?

I believe yes. I don't think God has ever audibly spoken to me as He did to Samuel. But His message is so loudly spoken, even so.

In Genesis ch. 9, God gave Noah and his family and their descendants (that's all of us) the rainbow in the sky as a sign of the promise that He will never again destroy the whole earth with flood waters.

As I was thinking about God speaking to us through nature 2 weeks ago, I reread that Genesis ch. 9 account of God putting the rainbow in the sky. And, I was thankful that God still gives us that beautiful display of His promise and reminder that He keeps His promises.

Then just a couple hours later, my 4 year old daughter suddenly started running a high fever that came on with no warning. With the Swine Flu going around like crazy, I immediately called the pediatrician, who said we could come right in.

I hauled my 3 kids through the rain to his office. At 4PM they took my daughter's temp., it was even higher -- 104.2!

The doctor was pretty sure she had flu and did the rapid test. As I waited the 5 minutes for the results. I began to feel a little panicked.

I mean with all the headlines of kids dying of H1N1, it is scary!

But before I could hyperventilate in the pediatrician's office, I looked out the window and guess what I saw?

A rainbow!

A beautiful, vivid rainbow across the entire sky!

I pointed my 3 kids to the window and as they all gazed in amazement, I thought, "That rainbow being there right now, only 3 hours after I read and reflected on the rainbow given in Noah's time, is no coincidence. It is supposed to remind me that God keeps His promises. And He is in control of this situation. I am just to trust Him.

My daughter tested negative for flu, but apparently that rapid test only catches about 50 % of the cases. The doctor treated her with Tamiflu anyway, in addition to antibiotics, and steroids for her cough (that also came on super suddenly). She didn't run any more fever after that day. I kept her home for a week as a precaution.

I found out 2 days later that a boy in my daughter's preschool class had tested positive for H1N1, and several kids were out sick, so likely she did have the Swine Flu.

My 2 year old started with the cough and fever 4 days later and by then, very thankfully, the pediatrician treated the rest of our family with Tamiflu!

I'm thankful for a pediatrician that always sees my kids right away when I call, thankful the H1N1 was fairly mild in our household.

And thankful for a God who speaks!

This post is part of the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge.

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