At the beginning of March, my husband and I welcomed our first grandchild, Jackson, to the world. I had the absolute blessing of spending his first 10 days with him and his parents. Along with falling completely in love with Jackson, I had the privilege of watching my son and daughter-in-law navigate the beginning of parenthood. I listened as they talked to him, sang to him, and prayed with him. I watched the way they looked at him and how he stared back at them. It didn’t take long, and Jackson knew their voices. And they, in return, listened to his every sound and movement and knew him as well.
In today’s Gospel, John tells us that Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” God knows us. When we look to God, God is looking back at us, knowing our movements, our needs, and leading us as we grow in relationship.
The kids indulged me by asking if I had any parenting advice. No, I didn’t pull out a large scroll and start reading from it - after all, I certainly don’t have it all figured out. What I did share was that when things got “noisy”, I learned to lower my voice to a whisper. Maybe it was to lower my own stress level and heart rate… but when my voice was soft and steady, they would hear me because my children knew my voice. Now, did they always listen and never ignore it? Nope.
The Lord’s voice is steady and leading us. Do we always listen to it? Nope. Sometimes we may flat-out ignore it. Yet when the world gets “noisy,” or we are impatient and waiting for God to answer, we sometimes need to listen closer. God’s voice is there. And we know God’s voice.
In my several years of research on the topic of belonging, I have learned that belonging is an active term. It requires active engagement, trust, vulnerability, and intentionality. Belonging, while personally and individually determined, often encompasses being seen (for all aspects of who we are), heard, and affirmed. It involves feeling connected, valued, and known.
In the embrace of the Lord, we have a place of belonging. That too is active. “No one can take them out of my hand.” God knows each of us by name. We belong with and to God. Today, amidst the “noise” of your day, I invite you to listen closely and intentionally, resting in the assurance that you are known, you belong, and you are loved.
Becky Nickerson
As a Creighton employee of over 20 years, a course instructor, an alumna, and a mom of a Bluejay alum, I am grateful that so much of my journey has been centered in a place that has encouraged me to explore and grow in my faith and live out a mission that is core to my own value system. I love my work, I am rooted in my faith, and I’m really not sure how I could ever separate them at this point. I am excited to be a new contributor to Creighton’s online ministry – learning and serving in a new way.
