I can remember being a pretty adventurous kid growing up. And when I say adventurous, I mean I loved exploring in the woods at the end of our street, building forts, wadding waist deep through the gulley trying to catch crawfish and “hunting” little birds with my BB gun. My childhood was one “adventure” after another. I would wake early on Saturday mornings to go sit in a tree to “hunt.” In looking back, I’m not really sure what I was hunting for or why I sitting in a tree. At the time, age 6, it made perfect sense.

But living adventures and exploring through the woods, all came to a sudden halt when I would hear a whistle. You see, it didn’t matter how deep in the woods I was or if I was in the middle of a basketball game at a neighbor’s house. When I heard that whistle, I had better stop what I was doing and get home. You see, when dad needed me or when he wanted me to come home, he’d stand on our driveway and whistle. It was a very distinctive whistle. And it meant, stop what you’re doing and get home. I always had to be aware of that whistle; be listening for it. Didn’t matter if I didn’t hear it; if he’d whistle and I didn’t come home, I was going to be in trouble.

The other night, I put both of my kids on their knees for not listening when I told them to come home from the neighbor’s yard. Their response wasn’t immediate and I want them to learn that listening to dad is important.

God’s been “whistling” to me lately. And in seeking His voice and making sure it is Him talking, He brought me to the night that Jay and Cecilia got put on their knees for not responding to dad’s voice. And then He brought up my memories of my dad whistling.

When dad calls us, we must discern that call to make sure it is really Him calling. But discernment isn’t enough, once we recognize that it is His voice, we must respond. We have to move. This is why prayer is so important to our everyday lives. It is in prayer that we begin to know the voice of the Father. It’s amazing to me that in a crowded room, full of noisy kids, you’re children recognize your voice when you call. It’s because they know you, and they know your voice.

Our relationship with God must be the same. We must always be listening for His whistle.

• Are you listening for His whistle?
• Do you know His voice?
• Do you hear the small “whistle” in your life?
• Are you carving out time each day to listen?

When we do these things, it becomes easier to recognize God’s voice and it can speed up our discernment, since we already know Dad’s voice – it’s easier to recognize it.

Hear His voice, make sure it is Him and then respond.