He Speaks My Language

A group of us are now listening to pray-as-you-go.org It’s a website that offers daily prayers and Scripture reading.It’s been a life breathing exercise for Steve and I. We listen to the podcast on our own then chat over coffee. “What did God reveal to you?” It’s been very bonding for us.Steve’s got most of our friends listening too. Throughout the week there are texts flying around asking, “Did you listen to pray as you go today? OMG! We’ve got to talk.”It’s been life connecting with Jesus and with our community.This past Sunday, The Day of Pentecost, the reading was from Acts 2. I’ve taught on Acts 2 more than twice. (Yes, pun intended!) What struck me this time was the languages.I lived in France for a semester. I didn’t know a lick of French. It was hard, tiring and disorienting. I found myself longing for and connecting with anyone who spoke English. Hearing my native tongue made me feel at home.With that in mind, imagine the scene at the Day of Pentecost. There’s loud sounds, noise, chaos, multiple languages being spoken at the same time…bewilderment, disorientation.But then in verse 11 the people declared, “…we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”Can’t you see the Mede honing in on his own language and the Egyptian tuning her ear to the one who was speaking her native tongue. It was still noisy. Surely it required concentration to hear…but…ah, it felt like home.It made me realize God still speaks to each of us in our “own language.” I suspect how he speaks to me isn’t necessarily how he speaks to you. Perhaps our conversations are louder, more verbal and direct. And many times God speaks to me by giving me a picture. They say we remember what we see more than what we hear, perhaps that’s why, either way, doesn’t matter. What matters is He speaks…to me…in the way he made me to hear.And when I concentrate, closing out all the other noise and hone in on what God is saying in my native tongue… I a