Tea With Judi
“…and his sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” John 10:4

Is it just me, or have you also noticed? The more advanced our tools of communication become the more common courtesy seems to be going… excuse moi … right down the toilette. A story from my friend Dar Rossi is a perfect case in point.

Every woman knows that one of the best escapes from the summer heat is a trip to an air-conditioned mall. During such an extended shopping spree, Dar found herself in urgent need of the ladies room. No sooner had she settled in a stall when she was startled by a vivacious voice coming from next door. “Hi, there!” Composing herself, Dar managed a weak “hello.”

“How ya doin’?” the voice chirped.
“Ff-fine.”
“How’s the family?”
“Uh, doing quite well, thanks,” ventured Dar, still a bit suspicious of this sociable stranger.
“Well, I tell ya… it’s been quite a week at our house…” and for nearly a minute the anonymous annotator elaborated as Dar, in her less-than-commodious confines, offered polite interjections. Then the conversation took a confounding curve.

“Can you hang on just a minute, Mildred?” continued the covert conversationalist.

Mildred. Who’s Mildred?

“Someone in the next stall keeps talking and I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

Reality registered in a flush… er, flash. Seems the bathroom blabber had been on her cell phone the entire time.

While Dar’s embarrassing encounter makes for a side-splitting story, it also contains a resonating ring for us all. Seems we can’t go anywhere nowadays without falling victim to a vast variety of voices vying for our time and attention. How can we possibly sort them all out?

A passage in John 10 comes to mind, warning of those who come in the back door of the sheepfold to confuse and divide. Thankfully, the faithful Shepherd is there keeping watch. “And His sheep follow Him,” it concludes, “because they know His voice.”

Don’t want to be confused by a stranger in the next stall? Take a daily detour during this sizzling season to the cool pastures and still waters. It’s only there that we become unflinchingly familiar with the Shepherd’s voice.

And here’s some additional advice from Dar. Next time you hear nature calling, think twice before answering!