How's Your Hearing?

My baby girl continues to amaze me as she grows. Every month and every growth stage provides all of these new personality traits and quirks that are my daughter. It is an adventure everyday with her. My wife would agree!

Right now she is starting to recognize and know her surroundings and familiar faces. She knows when our dog, Rowdy, is running around her. As a matter of fact, Rowdy, and not me (which I am not bitter at all about) was the first one to make Katie laugh. I mean laugh out loud, hard to control laugh. He kept licking her toes and she laughed and laughed. Don't worry, I caught it all on video. They are going to be great friends as she grows up.

As Katie is recognizing her evironment, she has also began recognizing me and my wife's voice. When I walk into the room and she is not loooking my way, I can call out her name and begin talking and she will turn to find me...and then she lights up with a smile (I am talking her whole face smiles) when she sees that it is really me. As a father, there really is no greater feeling then that face smiling back at me. My daughter knows my voice and responds positively. We have a spiritual bond.

John, who wrote a Gospel of Jesus Chirst, talks about the Sheppard and the sheep. John and Jesus had a spiritual bond and this is the way John chose to explain that bond thousands of years ago. The Sheppard is willing to lay down his life for his fold. And the sheep hear the Sheppard's voice and they know that voice. They trust that voice. They are willing to follow that voice. Furthermore, they are wise to voices that are not the Sheppard's voice. There is a deep and meaningful relationships between Sheppard and sheep, parent and child, and Jesus and John...and Jesus and us.

Bring that back around: Katie knows my voice. When I speak she knows it is me, and she responds with a smile. I would lay down my life for her. I would do whatever it takes to protect her and make her life great. And believe me, she can feel that connection. Likewise, Jesus Christ goes beyond what I may ever have to do for my daughter. Jesus DID lay down his life. He proved that he has love for us beyond mere talk. Talk is cheap, so Jesus demonstreted his love for us, was crucified, and was ressurected to reconcile creation back to the Creator.

The point? When Jesus speaks do we know his voice? Do we turn to face him and smile? Do we shy away or ignore his voice? Maybe we turn in shame or fear because our perception of him is that he only speaks to correct, put-down, or punish. What a sad, untrue perception.

Jesus is speaking to you today, even now. How are you going to respond? While I am turning around to smile at him, why don't you take time to think about it...but not too long, he is waiting for your smile.