Turn down the volume

This evening Elizabeth and I took a short trip to Target with Gabriella. The trip to the store was pleasant as peanut was happy, smiling and laughing as she was being pushed in her car seat around the store. As usual I was making funny faces and couldn't help but smile at my beautiful little princess. As we began to check out and start leaving the store Gabriella began to get fussy. Elizabeth and I packed up the groceries in the trunk and put the baby in the car. What should have been a peaceful 15 minute drive home turned into 15 minutes of hell. Normally we can turn on a Robert Stears cd and she quiets down, Gabriella that is. However, this night's journey home would be completely different. She continued to burst out screams for help in the back seat. While driving I reached back to offer her pacifier to her. With no avail, she continued to let me know she was not happy. The radio magically got louder, her screams increased, any effort to drown out the loud cries from the back seat did not work. Elizabeth turned around to offer her some soothing caresses, relentless were her bellows for assistance. In the midst of all of the noise, radio, cries, and windows all the way down, God began to speak ever so gently to me. You would think, how in the world can anyone hear God in the midst of a 8 month old baby letting you know she is very unhappy in every way possible except audible words. Strangely enough, his voice seemed to be the only thing I could hear. His voice was gentle and calming. God clearly showed me how her cries instinctively created a desire for Elizabeth and I to act. Our actions, anyway possible to come to our only child's rescue. Normally her little cries can be pushed aside with a little soothing music, not tonight. Gabriella has a smile and laugh that catches our attention with the first glimpse, her utterances catch our attention, but nothing like when she is crying out for us to come quicly to her rescue. She was crying out to us with everything she had in her. When we cry out to our heavenly father, he responds promptly and with compassion. Just as a father or mother responds to their crying child. The differece, he is the creator of the universe, he knows the depths of our heart and our earnest desires. God does not have to guess what language we are speaking, he knows our hearts before we even utter a single word. He just waits patiently for us to cry out. With great compassion and eagerness he longs to assist us. The Lord hears our every request, each prayer is sent up into his thrown room. I want you to understand, there is a significant difference in using our regular voice to pray and crying out to the father with everything that is within us. Sometimes, prayer with persistence through crying out, is the only way. Next time you hear your little one crying out for help, just think your father who is in heaven is waiting for you to do the same. With Grace,