My childhood could be described as free range. The front door swung open, and my sister and I dashed out, wearing shorts and flip flops, our standard garb in Miami.
We morphed into cowboys and horses and pirates and whatever else we fancied. We had pretend campfires under the palm trees and ate cold beans out of a can, since we’d seen cowboys do that on TV.
Sometimes we drew squares in bright chalk on the sidewalk and played hopscotch. Sometimes we donned bathing suits and ran through the sprinklers, screaming with joy.
As the sun began setting, my father would call us back home with a distinctive whistle that still rings in my heart today. Then there came the singsong call: “Rosemary! Lorraine!”
That whistle and that voice were unmistakable. There were other fathers whistling too, but everyone had their own tune.
When I read about the Good Shepherd in the Bible, I vividly recall those days. Jesus said the sheep know — and trust — the shepherd’s voice and they will only follow him.
He described a good shepherd as someone willing to die for the sheep. In reality, though, no one expected such a radical sacrifice from everyday shepherds, but the point was that God’s love for his flock is unfathomable. He loves us more fervently than our parents did — and would die for us.
There’s a well-loved psalm often read at funerals: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” No matter how dark the valleys in our lives are, “I fear no evil.”
My late husband kept bees and they acted more calmly around him than strangers. Dogs, cats, birds — and even chipmunks — can recognize certain beloved voices.
God’s voice is always calling us, but the world can drown it out, since we’re often inundated with voices from morning to night.
Days may be filled with the babble of talk-show hosts, radio commentators and commercials. Many people are plugged into devices when they’re outside, so the chatter and cheeps of nature are canceled out.
People will say, “I’ve never heard God’s voice,” and that’s understandable, since there’s so much background noise --— but his messages are conveyed in images too.
For example, you might be praying and suddenly have a mental picture of a friend needing help. And from that image, which comes from God, you may become motivated to visit this person.
I recently watched a short video about a little boy who tends sheep. An adult standing with the child in a pasture tried calling the distant sheep, but they totally ignored him.
Then the boy emitted a high-pitched whistling sound, clapped and bellowed “Sheep!” One by the one, the animals perked up their heads, then came eagerly trotting to his side, because they knew his trusted voice.
All during our lives God is calling us to his side, but we get distracted with jobs, bill paying, vacations, medical issues, workouts and worries.
But if you give yourself some silence, you may hear a distinct call tailored just for you. If you run to his side, our heavenly father will take care of you — and the dark valley will turn light.
Lorraine is the author of three mysteries and five works of non-fiction. Her email address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com.
