Whose Voice do You Want to Hear?
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
In London there is a woman who goes every day to the subway.
This is not that unusual in that many people regularly go to the subway.
However, she doesn’t go to actually travel on the subway to her job or to see family. She goes to sit and listen.
Specifically, she goes to listen to her husband’s voice over the loudspeaker.
Margaret McCollum was married for many years to her husband Oswald who was an actor and also worked as a voice-over artist.
Her husband was hired to do the iconic phrase “mind the gap” that is repeated each time the train pulls into the station. The gap refers to the gap between the train and the train platform.
Sadly in 2007 Oswald passed away and it this was of course a very devastating time for Margaret.
As she processed her grief and pain, she decided to go to the subway station and listen to Oswald’s voice as multiple times per day the recording would remind people to “mind the gap.”
The time came however that they were going to replace his voice with a more modern electronic voice. When Margaret heard the news, she petitioned to have the original recording sent to her.
However, after review, the subway decided that at the Embankment station, which is where she regularly visits to listen to his voice, would still maintain the original recording.
Margaret still visits the station and still listens to her husband’s voice as it is played three time for each train that comes into the station.
This woman’s dedication to regularly hear her husband’s voice is a really neat story of love and devotion.
This is the same devotion that Jesus wants as we fall in love with Him. It is the same devotion that springs out of our love for Jesus and desire to have Him in our lives.
Jesus talked about His followers and the fact that they listen to His voice.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
When you regularly hear a voice speaking you soon become quite familiar with that voice. Jesus wants us to have this same desire to hear His voice. He wants to be able to speak regularly to us.
Each day in your private time with Him you can pause to read his words in scripture. You can listen carefully and prayerfully in your prayer time with God. You can ask and receive the Holy Spirit that will help you in the daily walk.
Margaret goes habitually to the train station to hear a recording of her husband’s voice. We, too, can with the same regularity go and hear and see the words of God to us that are new each day.
If you do not currently pause to hear the voice of God through Bible study and prayer, please start. It will help you grow spiritually.
If you already pause to listen to the voice of God, pause a little longer and listen a little longer to what God may be telling you through His word and through that still small voice that may be speaking to you.