Using a pacifier

There was a day over the summer that my daughter did not want to go down for her afternoon nap. She was incredibly fussy and I needed to pull out all the tricks in my bag to get her to sooth and calm for sleeping. One of the strategies used at that time was shooshing in her ear and offering her a pacifier.

Seated on the floor I'm cradling my daughter, putting a pacifier in her mouth, and shooshing in her ear. My daughter leaned to the side and grabbed a loose pacifier from the floor and tried to put it in my mouth. Yep, that's right, my daughter decided I needed a pacifier too. I couldn't help but laugh at the whole scenario.

This particular nap time made me think how sometimes I have gotten so preoccupied talking to God I do not make enough time to listen. I keep shooshing in God's ear about my worries/needs/concerns/etc when I really should put a pacifier in my own mouth so I can hear Him whisper in my ear the responses to all those intentions. Now, don't get me wrong, God wants to hear my needs/worries/desires/etc, but I think I spend too much time talking and not listening. When was the last time you went to God to simply be present and listened?

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Today Lord, I will put the pacifier in my own mouth so I can hear you whisper in my ear to sooth me. Teach me to listen to your voice. Amen. 

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth