Have you ever had the privilege of hearing God’s voice speak to you? I was in my bedroom the morning after my mom passed away from lung cancer. The shower was splashing in the background while I ironed my blouse for the upcoming meeting with the funeral director. As I was working to get out the last stubborn wrinkles, I engaged in a silent conversation with my mom.
“Kimmy, your ironing skills certainly haven’t improved over the years. Your poor husband Craig even must iron his own clothes! Remember how I taught you to add water to the iron and not make it too hot or you will singe the fabric?”
“Mom, the iron and I continue to have a love/hate relationship. Unless you are planning on coming back to earth to help me, this blouse’s wrinkles are here to stay.” A smile spread across my face as I pictured my mom standing over the teenage version of myself showing me how to get the crisp creases around the collar.
out of nowhere i heard a voice
Usually I hear God’s voice in gentle whispers, but this one particular time in my life God’s voice spoke loud and clear to me. Out of nowhere, I heard a voice (not my dear departed Mom’s) commanding, “You will speak at your mom’s service.” It immediately halted my inner dialogue with my mom as I put the iron in its upright position. I wondered at what I had just heard. My sister was still in the shower, so I knew it wasn’t her. My children were all still fast asleep. My husband had left early to get a jump start on his workday.
I listened as the strong resounding voice said once again, “Kim, you will speak at your mom’s service.”
I AM IN ABSOLUTELY NO SHAPE TO SPEAK
“God, is that you?” I whispered. Steam percolated and gurgled through the iron. “I am not speaking at the funeral. I am currently standing here now pretending my mom is alive and having a conversation about ironing. See, God? I am in absolutely no shape to speak.”
“Kim, yes, you will speak, and I will give you the words to say.”
OUR LIVES ARE LIKE A PATCHWORK QUILT
It was if the floodgates opened, and God poured out my mom’s 66-year legacy at my footstep. I ran down the flight of steps as fast as I could and opened my laptop to begin typing. My fingers couldn’t keep up with how quickly the imagery was coming as I typed: Our lives are like a patchwork quilt. Some squares are vibrantly colored and full of life, and some squares are worn and tattered. Some are like the softness of a favorite worn pair of jeans, and some contain intricate patterns that create the most perfect design. My mom’s life was like a patchwork quilt. Each square made up of life circumstances and experiences…some full of life and beautiful memories, and some filled with sorrow and bits of brokenness. Others have memories filled with comfort and peacefulness, and others so intricately woven that only God could be the one to create them…My tears dripped onto the keyboard as God’s spoken words transcribed onto the screen revealing how intimately He loved my mom and knew the intricate details of her life.
MY SHEEP LISTEN TO MY VOICE
When writing this story from my life, I am drawn to John 10:27 which states, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” As Christians we have the privilege of hearing God’s voice. When you hear His voice loud and clear, will you obey and follow Him? Who knows, you may even have to grab your laptop!