Are You Talking To Me?

Have you ever had those conversations in a crowded room or in an area where there are tons of people all talking at the same time and you realize that someone is trying to get your attention? You think you hear them saying something to you but you are not sure. You may even hear your name or you may even pick up parts of a conversation that has something to do with you but you are still not sure. You peruse the room and you now know that someone has been talking to you but you didn't know it. You make a concerted effort to hear more fully and then you ask the question, "Are You Talking To Me?"

It is only now that with all the noise going on around you that you finally can concentrate on the communication coming your way. You focus on what is being said. You disregard all the other things going on around you. Now you can better understand what is being told to you.

I have seen this happen 2 times this summer in 2 different summer camps for our students. The first week we were in a camp in North Carolina, one of the best camps around when it comes to teaching, preaching, and telling deep spiritual truths. The speaker was bringing it, if you know what I mean, and he stopped and mentioned something about authority in the lives of our students. He said something like this, "Students you will NEVER grow as a Christian if you do not respect and be obedient to the authority that has been placed over you in your life." Wow, that got every one's attention. We talked about it in our church group time and they acknowledged that this is an area that all of them needed to work on .

The 2nd time that I heard this was in a different camp in the entirely different direction from the first camp, in Western Kentucky and a whole different group of students, and speaker. The speaker was preaching, bringing it in love and he said this, "Students the way that you as Christian students talk to your parents is UNGODLY with no respect, no obedience, and you are not respecting the authority that has been placed over you in your life. You have to respect those that are over you, including parents and youth leaders, if you ever expect to grow as a child of God."

The same thing in 2 different camps, from 2 different speakers/preachers, and 2 different sets of students. Now I know that our students needed to hear this but then it dawned on me too. "Are You Talking To Me?"

God is not only talking to students at these camps but also to us adults. I am on the same journey as many of our students and I need to get it as well. So today, as I am recuperating from the weeks away from camp I am asking the same question that all of us need to ask, "Are You Talking To Me?"