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"And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth." (1 Samuel 3:10 KJV)
We spend much of life communicating with others. To do so usually requires two willing participants. Often, it requires spoken words, as referenced in today's Scripture passage.
I am always intrigued by the fact that Jesus frequently talked about little children in His teaching. Recently, I had a very meaningful exchange with a beautiful six-month-old baby. Emma was brought to our facility by Bianca, a staff member at my residence. I felt especially connected to Emma since I had observed her development over the months before her mother left for maternity leave. I had seen only pictures of her since her birth, but now, I was communicating in person.
It was an exciting communication for me and, I believe, for Emma also. I used words, and Emma largely communicated with her sparkling eyes, motions, and sounds. We were both engaged in meaningful communication.
Good communication results when helpful thoughts and actions are shared in love. Emma certainly helped me, and I believe that she realized that I was sending loving wishes to her.
While communicating is frequently done by using spoken words, other means are sometimes used. Particularly in these past many months when we have been required to wear masks, we have often communicated by our eyes and even by signs.
Anna, another staff member, helps one of my neighbours, so I see her often. She frequently wears a shirt with words on it. Without saying anything, she communicates messages to me and, I am sure, to many others. One message that I particularly liked was based on three "Ls": "Live every moment, Laugh every day, Love beyond words."
The ultimate communication is, of course, when God speaks to us. It may be through His written Word, the Bible. It may be via a friend or even a stranger. It is often in a time of private prayer when we become very aware of God's presence.
In any event, it takes two to communicate. To be effective, we must be sincere and eager to help the other person.
In today's verse, Samuel was eager to do God's bidding, and he gave us a great heritage. I tried to share my love with baby Emma, and she certainly blessed me, even though our visit was brief. Anna continues to minister to me (and many others) by the shirts that she wears, even without making a sound.
I'm sure that you can think of many ways by which one can communicate. When I posed this question to one of the staffers here, the immediate answer was "by Internet" — something unheard of when I was young.
You and I are constantly communicating. May we always do so in a positive, kind, and helpful way.
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for giving us the ability to learn from Your communications with us. In turn, help us to be positive and kind to others. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Vincent Walter
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