8-May-2 (John 10:22-30)

There was a summer a long time ago when I was a bit older than you that my family when to the Worlds Fair. All of us kids were very exited as we went from exhibit to exhibit and maybe I was a bit too excited because I go to the next exhibit and turned to say something to my mom and dad and... I couldn't find them. They weren't there! I was surrounded by people I didn't know. I got a bit scared. I wasn't sure what to do or where to go so I started back the way I came. I felt like I'd been lost for hours when suddenly I heard a voice I recognized. It was my mom's voice. I followed the sound of her voice and turned a corner and there she was, talking to a police man.
Jesus talked about something like this. He said that he was like a shepherd with a flock of sheep. The sheep know his voice and listen to him. Don't get confused by why he talked about sheep when he was talking about us. Just remember that what he meant was a lot like what happened with my mom and I. People who know Jesus well, know what he sounds like and they listen to him. It's not really about how Jesus voice sounds. It's about the things that Jesus says. When we study what Jesus says, we'll learn how to recognize the kinds of things that Jesus says and we'll know to listen carefully to those things.
So listen to Jesus' words. Learn the things he says. Then you'll be able to hear him when him when Jesus speaks to you about what you should do.

Let's pray about that.
God, we thank you for Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Help us to learn his words. Help us to learn to hear him when he speaks to us. We want to follow Jesus.
Amen.