Come Again?
“Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” – 1 Samuel 3:4-9 (NIV)

To this day I am not sure why he chose me. One of our two guides on our weeklong back packing trip needed to get off the mountain fast. A member in our group had seriously injured her ankle and would need to be airlifted off the mountain. Unfortunately, from our current position we had no way to communicate with the Ranger Station below. So, one of our guides would need to get off the mountain to call for help and he couldn’t go alone. He needed one of our group to go with him and he chose me.

I wasn’t the fastest (that was Loren). I wasn’t the strongest (that was Randy). I wasn’t the most experienced (that was Heather). I had the feeling that this particular leader did not even like me that much. Why did he call on me?

I imagine this was a question that went through little Samuel’s head. Samuel was still a child when God called. What’s more, the text says that “he did not know (yada = experiential knowledge of) the lord.” If God was going to call upon anyone in the Temple surely he would call on the High Priest Eli, right? Nope.

God calls who God will call. God called upon Samuel. God may (and I’m convinced, God will) call upon you. The question is, are you willing to hear, to rise up and say, “Here I am”?
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God…We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” – Marianne Williamson

Still speaking God, call upon me in ways that I can hear you. Give me the courage to rise up with the courage born from the truth that I am yours. Amen