Welcome 2016: Come&Listen

I have been distracted lately.

     I noticed others making their 'yearly' goals, hearing a new goal or desire in their own heart, and planning out what lies ahead.  All my 2016 preparations have focused on the present, the current state, and walking through only today.

I'm 39weeks&4days pregnant.  This is the longest I've carried any baby.  I did not expect for today to begin or end without a new baby in my arms.  But he will come; I'm just not sure when.

My January was comprised of a 6th birthday celebration for my oldest of four sons, and then it shifted to focus on baby preparations.  All the planning & prepping & laundry has been done, more than one time.  All the bags packed weeks ago.

The recent message at our church (which of course I thought would be my last Sunday morning for a little while) was preached by Pastor Rich Stevenson, whom I have listened to many times over the past 9 years.  But his message on January 24, 2016 was my favorite.  Give a listen to it at the sermon page of OCF here.

Come&Listen.

The passage from Isaiah 55:1 rang out so loud in my ears.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; 

and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost."

The Lord spoke so clearly to my heart, he calls me: COME. LISTEN.  This is my manna moment, today is my chance to open his word, to see him moving in my midst, to learn more about him, to daily come, buy&eat.

My daily renewal, my filling & focusing on him.  Looking for God & listening for his voice.  Hearing his call to come.

Pastor Rich made a simple, but key point about hearing what we listen for.  If we aren't listening, if we are paying attention and turning our hearts & our ears to hear, then will we miss it?  

This is my 2016 call, Come&Listen.  My schedule will be a bit crazy with a newborn baby & balancing all my children's needs.  We will stretch & grow in this season.  I know it will be full of sweet moments, but I will need to listen daily, to come buy&eat.  To not close my ears out of tiredness and distraction, but to train my ears to listen, even in the shortest of devotionals, or the hurried prayers of a meal, or the sunrise over our breakfast table.  May his voice be in my ears, and may 2016 be a year of choosing to Come to the waters.

Blessings, 

Brie