God Calls and the Heart Answers

 

Readings 011226

Some live at peace with themselves
and with those around them.
Some have no peace within,
and they are determined to disturb the peace of others.

But there is a quiet place
where true peace begins—
a place where longing lives,
where the heart waits
without even knowing what it waits for.

Hannah knows this place.
So do the fishermen.
So do we.

Hannah walks the same road each year,
carrying the same ache,
praying the same prayer
that seems to fall unanswered.

The fishermen cast the same nets each day,
feeling the same weight,
hauling in the same life
that feels too small for the soul within them.

And into these ordinary rhythms—
the yearly pilgrimage,
the daily casting—
God steps close.

Not with thunder or spectacle,
but with a whisper that settles the restless heart:
This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom is at hand.

Hannah lifts her eyes.
The fishermen lift their nets.
Something in them knows—
the waiting has ripened.
The moment has come.

God calls,
and the heart answers—
sometimes with tears,
sometimes with courage,
always with a trembling yes.

For the God who sees the barren places
also plants the seeds of new beginnings.
And when He speaks—
in Shiloh or by the sea—
lives change,
paths turn,
and the ordinary becomes holy ground.

Prayer

Lord,
lead me to that quiet place
where true peace begins.
Calm the restless corners of my heart
and open my eyes to Your gentle whisper.

In my waiting, plant new beginnings.
In my ordinary days, make holy ground.
When You call my name,
give me the courage to rise
with a steady and trusting yes.

Amen.