12-7-2020
It was the middle of the day, after nap time and snack, when the house became suspiciously quiet. My mommy radar went off! Those kids must be doing something mischievous, after all, they are usually loud and crazy.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The kids! What was that? Nine thumps? Someone must have been playing on the stairs and fell down. Oh no! They probably toppled and bumped their head (or heads)...maybe broke a leg. I jumped to my feet.
Hahahaha! “Let’s do that again!” Heeheehee!
Uhh...what? Now, I’m guessing they’re fine and no child is hurt, but I’m definitely going to investigate the situation further. I get to the top of the carpeted basement stairs just before the incident happens again.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
My two youngest boys are sliding all the way down the stairs on their bellies, feet first. This is not okay with me...or is it? We don’t allow playing on the stairs in our house, but they’re having fun, so I’m torn.
I don’t want them to get hurt playing where they could easily fall, but those smiles tell me they’re making great memories. They already know the rules about playing on the stairs, and I should probably discipline them. I want them to obey, and they’re doing whatever they want...in my house. Then again, I’ve heard it said to pick your battles.
I know I need to communicate that I’m in charge, but they can enjoy life a little. I opt for, “You can slide down the stairs when you’re going down to the basement, but we’re not going to run up the stairs just to slide down them over and over again.”
These kids have no idea how scared I was that one of them was hurt. It’s strange to think of the different stairs sounds...tip toes, kid running, adult steps, stomping up mad, falling down, and adding thumping sliding to the list. I can recognize them all. I know the differences just by listening and knowing who is in my house. I can almost tell you which kid is coming up based on their walking sound.
This has me wonder about some sounds in the Bible. I’ve been taking an online Bible class, and we read through Psalm 29 for three lessons. It’s poetry from our good friend, David, where he writes about the God of thunder and the powerful voice of God in a storm, breaking trees, and throwing lightning.
In contrast, God speaks to the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19 through a whisper. People who idolized the Ba'al god would expect authority to come as a storm, but God chose a quiet voice instead of being heard in the earthquake or fire that came near Elijah.
Flipping ahead, we also have the words of God through Jesus (remember all the Red Letters?). These interactions and sermons we have in print seem to be very conversational. Jesus spoke to the people he met at the temple, near the water, or on the road as He knew what they wanted and needed in their lives.
God’s voice can be straightforward, commanding attention, and loud or it can be simple, hinting at motivation, and soft. The important thing is that I’m listening for it, and I can recognize it when I hear it. I know the different ways He communicates. His voice may startle me at first, but then I can notice it for what’s really going on and begin a course of action.
As I listen to the thumping down the stairs, I realize this new communication from my kids is a pleasant one in which I need not to worry. I hear them from the other room, and I smile because I know they’ve added fun to a simple daily travel routine. And as I sit, I’m also ever listening for the voice of God in the quiet and the storm.
John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
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