My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27).

My son Garrett is not a man of many words. Ask him a question and his likely reply is a one-word retort. While multiple-choice inquires are an effective penetration device, drilling information out of my teenage mute is still an intricate process. The well may be full of oil, but it's way below the surface.

Recently, my husband experienced a similar dialogue with God.  

"Sell everything," John heard from the Lord one day in prayer.

"Excuse me, Lord. What did you say?"

"Sell everything."

"Everything? Exactly what does everything entail? Does that mean my vehicles and my house or just have a garage sale?"

Silence.

Hmmm. Maybe God doesn't answer multiple choice.

After this divine directive, John waited several months for a confirmation. He wanted God to speak to me so we would be united in purpose. I wish I could say I diligently sought the Lord in prayer. To be honest, I was like a little kid with my fingers in my ears. I didn't want to hear. I'm rather fond of my things, my house, my car, my furniture. What exactly did everything mean? Truly, I didn't want to know.  For me, the less I knew, the less accountable I was to obey. But when six months went by and John still felt like the Lord was pressing him to sell everything, the finger-in-the-ear trick no longer worked. I was convicted, so...

I prayed a little.

I heard nothing.

I prayed some more.

I still heard nothing.

Sometimes when God speaks, it doesn't make sense. Sometimes when God speaks, it's scary. It's even worse when we hear absolutely nothing.

"Christy," John told me one day in July, "I've got to obey the Lord. It's time to put our house on the market."

On my way to a meeting a couple of days later in the confines of my vehicle, I cried out to the Lord.  I wanted answers and reasons.  "Where are we going, Lord? Why do you want us to sell everything? This doesn't make sense. And why aren't you talking to me?"