The Shema and Thunderstorms

The Shema (pronounced: she-ma) is the Hebrew word for hear or listen. It is the first word of that famous passage in Deuteronomy where the Lord says, "Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one..." (Deut. 6:4-9). It is in this passage where the Lord commands His people to speak to their children about the Lord when they go out, when they come in, when they lie down and when they rise up. In short, they were to speak to their children about the Lord all the time. The passage is still sound for today and those who wish to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Parents should teach their children about the Lord.

So...we're at my oldest son's first football game. (He made an amazing tackle at the very beginnig of the game and made his old man proud and roused the whole stand with his amazing athletic ability.) About six plays or so into the game the thunderstorm that had been off in the distance made it's way to the field where we were playing and promptly shut down our football experience for the day. Once the game was finally called and rescheduled the collective whine of every 7 and 8 year old boy could be heard over the thunder. "Why can't we play?" "It's just rain?" "We shouldn't have to stop?" etc.... I saw parents dragging children away. I saw parents and children running for their lives to escape the rain. I saw all manner of response to the calling of the game (not to mention every manner of response to the calling in the game).

What I didn't see a lot of was a Deuteronomy 6 response to the calling of the game. Admittedly, it was until we were well away from the field and the press of the moment that I realized the Deuteronomy 6 potential of our precipitious fortune. So what's the point? The point is to LISTEN. God speaks to us from His Word. God speaks to us by His Spirit. God speaks to us through His creation. God speaks! Are we listening? Better yet...are we teaching our children to listen?