Imagine this.
You’re tucked into your sleeping bag with the tent flaps open to let in a bit of the cool night air. The embers of the campfire are still glowing and occasionally popping into sparks that shoot into the dark. It’s blessedly quiet with everyone else all cozied up in their tents and all the headlamps finally gone out.
“Joe!"
You sit up in bed, wonder briefly why you answered to the name “Joe” before realizing that this is all in your head, and then look out your tent to see who called you. It’s quiet. Well, as quiet as night gets out in the mountains with the crickets singing, the branches rustling, and that silly owl making more noise than it has any right to make. “Ok, that’s odd but whatever. I’m tired,” you think as you roll back over and close your eyes again.
“Joe!"
You’re already grabbing for your shoes so you can get out of your tent. Outside, without your jacket, it’s chilly but all the tents are still. Not a single light coming from any of them and no sound either (aside from the sawmill going at full steam over in that one tent). You look around furtively, trying to assess whether everything is ok and who would have called your name but there just aren’t any real good clues. And besides, you’re tired and probably just hearing things. All right, fine, back to bed you go.
“Joe!"
This time you actually knock on a couple of tents but fortunately everyone seems be tired enough not to wake at the noise. You’re a bit worried at this point because you could clearly hear your name being called and yet there doesn’t seem to be anyone who could possibly be calling for you at this hour. Instead, you grab your Bible and head over to where the embers from the earlier campfire are still putting out a good bit of heat. Moving your chair extra close, you open the book to 1 Samuel chapter 3 and upon reaching verse 9 you suddenly have a clue as to what to do next.
So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’”
You breathe a quiet sigh of understanding, tuck your Bible back under your arm and push your chair away from the fireplace. After getting back under the warmth of your sleeping bag you lie back and close your eyes, waiting for the next call. This time, you’ll be ready.