voices

Voices Admit it or not, we all hear voices in our heads, All the time for every waking moment and in our dreams. They call, they cuddle, they entangle and even mislead, they scream and whisper, louder and yet more soothingly cajole us, empowering us and still weakening us, empowering us or shutting us down. The voice of fear is a steady tender friend, who accompanies us from childhood, follows us in adolescence and still befriends us as adults. Fear of the unknown, fear of things we do not see, fear of the things we do not understand and fear of decisions we have to make. Fear of the troubles we fear may arise, fear of our thoughts, our lifestyle, our friends and the fear of change. We fear for we know not our limits, yet fear to explore, not because we cannot, but because our fears told us so. The voice of doubt is best friends with the voice of fear, he tells us to second guess, the if-nots, the may-bes, the cannots and the wishes. He always grumbles and never speaks clearly, providing more confusion where fear has sown seeds. Listen not to him lest you stumble on the runway. The voice of peer-pressure is actually a multitude of voices, they scream, they yell, they scold and make contrite, they set standards and norms which only last for a while, they lie and they despise, often setting us up for our greatest failings. They say to her; go dancing, it’s a party, go dating, he’s just a boy. He thinks and he totters, no confidence yet fear eggs him on. For she wonders; everyone is doing it, and he thinks; what will they do if I fail to become one of the gang? A few drinks later, a few kisses later, a few clubs later, a few guns later, a few boys later and a few jobs later; she’s pregnant with no friends, no husband, he’s in jail with no crew and no lawyer. All they are and all they were is lost, a few tears will come later when they discover that they are all alone. The voice of pride is the voice of confidence; it lingers to hide a weak personality, a person of lies, a character of false standards, and the illusion of being judge, jury and executioner. It makes you forget the holds of society, the walls of morality and the essence of empathy, thinking only of me, mine and myself. The voices of desire and envy are twin sisters, holding hands, clouding thoughts, laying the seeds for violent acts, they cripple the weak and embolden the strong, through every conquest and every lost dream, making each person a loner, with so much drive, and they lose their way. When they grip you and control you, you never find satisfaction and never know peace, whenever you conquer, the grass will always be greener on the other side, setting you up for an endless journey into self-destruction. Beneath these all is a special voice that lingers, quiet and patient, stern and true, never leaving, never dimming, for it is the incessant zithering that humbles your soul, uplifts your spirit and strengthens your body. It is the voice of caution, the voice of instruction, the voice taught to us by our parents which led their parents and the parents before them. It is the voice in the desert, the one lonely wail that ponders your grief and wonders your befuddlement. It is the voice that lightens the pain in your heart, offering balm to your bruised ego and hope to the broken soul. It is the voice that offers contentment in a loaf rather than yearns for a feast. It is the voice of love that promises to lead you home in the middle of a storm, love to conquer your fears, pride, doubt and arrogance. The voice of love that reminds you of who you are, what you are and where you belong. It is the voice of the father, the voice of the King. The voice of the Spirit; the voice of the teacher. The voice of the son; the savior that died. He speaks to us to open up, he speaks to us to stand up, and he speaks to us to look above as he seeks but a listening ear and a willing heart. He seeks to take us to a place we have never seen, to provide the supply for the journey, to overcome the obstacles, to prepare us and make us ready, to encourage us when we are tired and inspire us when we doubt; to teach us the way of heaven. This voice is your conscience, the one friend that never abandons, the helper promised by Jesus, sent by the Father to guide us on our journey on this earth and like the prodigal, to ultimately take us home.