Listen

(Now Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord, and the Lord’s word hadn’t yet been revealed to him.)

A third time the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?”

Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down where he’d been.

Then the Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel said, “Speak. Your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:7-10

Think

When my teachers took attendance in class, each student said, “Here!” when their name was called. There was always that one person who, instead of saying, “Here!” like everyone else, would say, “Present!” just to be different.

There’s a difference in being “here” and being “present.” Most of us have physically been in class, but we were not present. Our minds wandered far away to someplace we’d rather be. Samuel hears his name called, and he gets up, goes to Eli, and says, “I’m here!” More than just being physically there, Samuel is completely present. He is ready to listen to Eli. Eli finally helps him understand that it’s God who is calling him. Samuel chooses to be present as he answers God, “Speak. Your servant is listening.”

We have so many distractions in our lives that it’s hard for us to be present. May we join with Samuel, being present to those around us and to God, caring about people’s needs, listening to them, paying attention to God’s callings in our lives.

Laura Edgar

Question to Ponder:

How can we be more present to others, listening to their needs, their hopes, their true selves? How can we be more present to God, listening for what God says to us, for who God calls us to be?

Pray

Ever present God,

teach me to be present,

in this moment,

in this place,

listening to you.

Amen.

Go

Be present to the God who calls you by name, who knows you and wants to be known by you.