Who do you hear?

Our oldest has played basketball for a few years, but this year we have all 3 playing on 3 different teams at 2 different schools.  Simply put, life is hectic over here right now. And, basketball is confusing to these hockey loving parents.  We know the simple rules, but the fouls, the motions for the fouls, the many stoppages in play.  I am constantly asking the Man, "what does that mean?" and he replies with, "I have no idea."

Last week, the middle child was in a tournament hosted by a local school.   The gym was traditional, highly polished hard wood floor, red brick walls, very high vaulted wood ceiling.  Nothing in this gym absorbed sound, so between the cheering parents, pounding basketball, and yelling coaches.  It was loud - crazy loud.

On Wednesday night, our game was the last of the night, so we were there in time to see much of the game before ours.  The first thing we noticed was the coach on one of the teams was loud.  He was constantly yelling at his team.  I realize all coaches do this.  He was just doing his job.  But what made him stand out to us was that we could not understand a word he was saying.  Was he speaking another language?  No.  I really think that it was just the combination of his voice and the acoustics in the room. By about 15 minutes of watching the game, we were rooting for this coach's opposing team just because of his loud, annoying voice.

I was thinking about that this week, and you know...as obnoxious as we found the coach's voice.  He had a whole team of  players that he was instructing.  A group of girls who was committed to listening to his voice and doing what he said to the best of their ability.  It didn't matter if we couldn't understand a word.  We were not part of his team.  It was not our job to understand.  It was his team's job.  Then, there is just the loudness of the room.  That team had to know his voice and be able to hear it over all the rest of the din.  Oh and don't forget the random parents and spectators shouting out all different commands.  "Put your hands up!"  "Look at number 22!"  "No fouls!"  "Rebound!" "Box Out. Box Out!" Let's not forget the squeaking shoes, pounding feet, and bouncing ball and  whistling refs. The sounds in that gym were deafening.  The girls on that team had to tune out all of the other shouts, instructions and noises, listen for their coach, trust his judgement, and obey his instructions.

I was reminded of this during our Bible study lessons this week.  We spent this week studying about Jesus being the Door and the Good Shepherd.  In both passages containing this I am statement, Christ mentions his sheep hearing his voice. 

John 10:3-4 3 The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.

or

John 10:27-28 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.

See, Christ is continually calling to us.  He is calling us to obedience, to His will, to love, to repentance, but ultimately, He calls us to abundant life.  The life we were meant for - full life.  But, just like that basketball court, other voices are calling too - pride, fear, selfish desires.  Voices that lead to death.  Those deadly voices come with our sinful nature.  They are ingrained in us form the moment of our conception.   We are Christ's sheep, and we know his voice.  We do not have to listen to the crowd or the deceiver.  We know Him by his voice!

Listen closely Dear Sheep!  Christ is calling!