"Right mom!" his voice trailed off as he whizzed past me and began doing circles around my feeble attempt to look like one of those power walkers on T.V. He continued to ride circles around me for several blocks.

It was about 5:00 p.m. The sun had already set. The clouds were just turning a beautiful shade of pink before they would fade away.

"Let's go up to my school," Jacob suggested. "OK," I huffed and puffed, struggling to keep fairly close to him.

As we turned the corner, now only a block from his school, I looked up and saw fog. It suddenly seemed much darker than when we started. Jacob seemed excited that we were closing in on the playground and zoomed ahead of me.

"Stay close enough so that you can at least hear my voice!" I shouted as I saw his body and bike enveloped by the fog.

For a moment I saw nothing. I waited expectantly. And then I waited some more...

This had happened other times when he was riding his bike. He had taken off and I couldn't see him. I never liked that feeling. And I didn't like it now especially considering the darkness and fog.

He finally appeared.

"There's some kids up ahead," he said, "and a mom and dad." "Thank you Lord," I said as he reappeared.

"Stay close enough so you can at least hear my voice."

Sixteen years later, Jacob has moved far beyond of the range of my voice to Los Angeles. Thanks to cell phones, texting, and FaceTime, he can still hear my "voice"... if he chooses. I am aware that over the past four years new voices of friends, students, and professors from around the globe have and continue to give him new and critical insights about the world. I am sure these will be important to whatever it is that God has in store for him. In the midst of all those voices, my prayer for him is that wherever he goes, he stay close enough to hear the voice of his Lord.

Thankfully, life as the resident "heretic" at his Catholic University, hasn't deterred him from listening for God's voice. He can often be found dragging his life-long catholic friends to student Mass on Sunday evenings.

As these dark days of winter rain and fog settle in, I'm reminded once again that all of us need to stay close enough to hear our Lord's voice. In the midst of the cacophony of sound and voices all vying for our attention, it's critical to be able to hear and identify the source of our life.

The best way to stay close enough to hear our Lord's voice is through a daily conversation with scripture. God's promises, words of comfort, and direction can be found in every turn of the page of his Holy Word. Weekly worship, daily devotional time and Bible study bring the Word to life, especially during those critical moments when you don't know which way to turn or you think you've lost your way. I would highly recommend adding all three disciplines to your New Year's schedule.

The day is coming soon, when Lucas, our youngest son, will also wander off to college, far from the sound of my own voice. My prayer for both of our boys is that wherever they find themselves in the world, they won't neglect to listen for their Lord's voice that will guide them through even the foggiest situations to a life that is full of purpose, meaning, and ultimately, joy.