The church cafe was full of chatter and after-service buzz. Tables and chairs slid across floors, pulled together to meet the needs of large families and separated for smaller parties. The white noise created an energetic mix. Coffee steamed, friends chatted, children wildly laughed. I found a solo table near the back of the cafe, opened my laptop, and began to work. Not much later I was approached by a pretty girl with shoulder length brown hair, milky skin, and soft brown eyes.
Her left fingers were pursed together to her thumb tightly and her hand was raised at salutation near her side. It was as if the clenched hand had a mind of it’s own. Her soft brown eyes looked different than each other; one drooped longer than the others. She placed the clenched hand on the cafe table to steady her wobbly torso and leaned to ask a question. But I didn’t understand her. I blinked a few times and cocked my head slightly to lean into her… perhaps I didn’t hear her.
She slowly spoke again in long sounding noises I could barely make out. Slowly. Softly. Painful.
She held a plate in her right hand, fully grasping the large dish with ease. A purse hung on her right shoulder. The right side of her body looked alive while the left side looked like it was frozen in a battle long ago.
In a long sentence ending with a inhale, she asked to share a table with me. I pulled out a chair and smiled while putting my notebooks and purse on the floor.
A man sat down with us shortly after I introduced myself. He carried a plate, two drinks, and wore a wedding ring matching the ring on the clenched left hand of the girl who painfully spoke words I barely understood.
I wanted so badly to know what she was saying. But he understood her. He knew what she was saying. He pieced together her every word because he knew her deeply and understood her so well.
As they finished their lunch I thought about how much he loved her and knew her intimately. He was a perfect depiction of our God and His infinitesimal love for us. Our inability to communicate effieciently is overthrown by the patient love and grace displayed by the One who love us.
God understands us. But when He replies, do we respond? Do we understand the words? Recognition comes from familiarity and familiarity comes from time spent together. Recognize His voice… He knows what we’re saying.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheeep reconize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. —John 10:3
beautiful story. and thank you reminding us (aka me) to take the time to learn His voice (:
That kind of rare, unconditional love breaks your heart… in a good way. It's such a beautiful story and you illustrated your point so well. Thank you, as always, for sharing your heart. You teach us all so much.
I felt the same Carrie, somehow this story's beauty just tore at my heart.
You constantly force me to reevaluate and, many times, shift my understanding of what TRUE love looks like.
This is some GOOD stuff.
beautiful… simply beautiful
So your post makes the third time in a week that some one has talked about John 10:3, once at church a week ago, second in my Tuesday night Bible study and today through your blog! I love it when God's words are confirmed over and over to me like this.
This is a beautiful story…reminding me that God does hear us when we call out to Him and he understands us and we know His voice as well!
Thank you for sharing!
Man, I long for that. One of my favourite verses in the bible is at the end of Psalm 119
And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me!
I'll recognize the sound of your voice.
My fear is that I wonder off and don't recognise the sound of His voice – and I fear it because it's true. I'm far away and I don't hear even though He shouts. I think we fear familiarity but you are right, we need to spend time with God to become familiar so we do hear Him. I need to work on that!
Thank you, Bianca, for this heart-warming post. I love how the husband knew her intimately. As believers, I am reminded of God’s Word on Psalm 139:4 “You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.”
thank you for sharing. this is beautiful.
Thanks for once again being used to speak words of the Father! I love how He still loves us even if I often feel so distant all I can hear is a faint whisper!
what a sweet post…i love that God knows me and i pray that i continually search and seek to know Him and His voice more and more…
I Love this Post. Very impact full. : )
Nice! I desire to hear his voice clearly and spending time with him is the way. Thanks for the simple yet very important reminder.
beautiful. you and the blog.
i'm all weepy now…
xoxox
Beautiful! I always say "only God understands me…"
i felt so emotionally impacted by this post i just had to comment and say thank you. i am touched.
"love"
Recognition comes from familiarity and familiarity comes from time spent together. Recognize His voice… He knows what we’re saying.
Our personal daily quiet times with our Lord will definitely produce familarity. Familarity of His voice. Loved this post B! Love, Mom
What a great post 🙂
Yes! This has been on my mind so much lately. Such a beautiful post and very poignant. Thanks 🙂
I teared up at this one. Beautiful. Wish I was that way all the time with my wife who I understand perfectly well. But do I always "hear" her. I need to be more attentive to God and her. Thank you for the great reminder.
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