I just read a story about a woman who was trapped in her bathroom for three weeks due to a broken door lock.  Thankfully, she survived by drinking tap water.  It turns out that she had been banging on the pipes in hopes of attracting the attention of her neighbors.  Here neighbors heard her banging all right.  In fact, they started a petition to stop workers from making noise at night!  They heard her, but they assumed they knew the source and they missed the message.

How many times do I hear God's warnings and miss his message?  Sometimes, I assume that the pipes are banging for no good purpose but to annoy me.  Other times, they must be for someone else.  I think that I often limit God's influence on me by deciding when or how he can speak.  The truth is, he can speak through a spouse, parent, child, pastor, friend... all the way down to the rocks!  I need to be in a state of mind that I am listening for God and what he has to say to me.  I should investigate situations and be ready to jump in if God is involved.  I desperately want to hear God speak to me... I just need to keep trying to listen!