Gò0dNews for Parents
“Oink, Oink!”
W
by Monica Gambrell
hen taking our young children out to a
Needless to say, we’ve had many happy replays of
buffet restaurant, we were always careful
that one, but I wonder, do we sometimes hear our
to ensure as best we could that our rather
Heavenly Father the way Rebekah heard her father?
large brood would not embarrass themselves—
Luke 8:14: “And that which fell among thorns are
or us. One such occasion, when our five children
they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are
were between the ages of 2 and 10, was especially
choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life,
memorable. Within a few moments of the completion
and bring no fruit to perfection.”
of my husband’s obligatory “manners” speech to
Matthew 13:14-15: “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the
our gang, we heard Rebekah, the 4-year-old, quietly
spirits, whether they are of God; because many false
repeating the word “oink.”
prophets have gone out into the world.”
When Bear and I looked at one another and then
Many things can keep us from hearing with clarity
at her, the clatter and chatter at our table had begun
the voice of our Father. Have the cares of this world
to dim. I didn’t want her to feel as if I were laughing
choked it out? Though your relationship remains, has
at her, so as calmly as possible, I asked why she was
sin separated you from the deep fellowship with your
saying that. She must have felt conspicuous because
Father? Pray today that your heart, mind, eyes, and
she was almost in tears as she replied, “Daddy said,
ears are fit for hearing the words of your Father. This
‘Go oink, go oink.’” It took me a moment to replay
comes only from living daily in His Word.
his speech in my head, but then it hit me. “Rebekah, honey, daddy said, ‘Don’t point, don’t point.’”
18 // October 2020
Serving God by serving others… Monica
