Have you ever gotten a new phone, received a text from someone whose number isn't in your phone, and written them back asking, "Who's this?"
I have and remember feeling a little embarrassed about it, thinking that I should have had that number in my phone—because if this is someone I cared about, I should have asked for their number earlier and put it in my phone right after I got it.
That's what I thought about when I read about how Saul and Ananias each responded to God's voice.
Saul heard the voice of Jesus and asked, "Who are You?" while Ananias heard the voice of Jesus and responded, "Here I am, Lord."
Metaphorically speaking, Saul didn't have Jesus' number, and we know the reason why: he was a persecutor of Christians. He hadn't experienced his conversion just yet. But once he did, he began to proclaim Who Jesus was. He began to know Him, and I imagine, to recognize His voice.
What was that moment in your life—when you experienced a conversion in your heart and life, when you turned to Jesus, began to know Him more and recognize His voice? When did He become someone so close to you that His phone number would have been one of the first that you added to your new phone?
And if you haven't had that moment yet, what is keeping you from listening for Him today?
Having trouble discerning God's voice in your life? This priest sheds some light on this.
Annie Deddens is a writer and producer. She runs a prayer ministry with her husband, called Pray More Novenas. She has a heart for the sick & suffering, and she writes about living with greater faith (hope & love, too) in this imperfect world as a Catholic wife. You can find out more about her here.