God Speaking?

 I love this story, and because I was familiar with it I think I was able to clearly see an answer to one of my own prayers.

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I found the following at http://www.edificico.org/flood.htm.

 

 The Flood

It had been pouring down rain for days and the river was cresting far above flood stage. The town was being flooded and emergency evacuation procedures were being exercised. The old man in the yellow house had been a faithful follower of God nearly all his life, so he was not afraid. He knew that God would take care of him.

As the water came lapping up to his window sills, a man in a rowboat came paddling by. As he rowed by the house, he noticed the old man in the window, and asked, "Would you like me to row you to dry land?" "No," the man replied. "God will save me!" "Okay," responded the man in the row boat, and he went on looking for others he might be able to help.

The water continued to rise, and soon it was lapping at the second story window sills. By this time, dramatic rescue operations were in progress. The water was so deep that a large yacht was passing by. Seeing the old man now leaning from the second story window, they called to him: "You are in serious trouble -- let us save you!" But the old man's faith in God had not diminished, and he called back, "No, God will save me!" "Well," they replied, "we don't have time to convince you -- others need to be saved, too." So the yacht passed on by.

The water continued to rise. Soon, nearly the entire house was under water, with only the very top of the roof above the water. Perched atop the house, the old man patiently sat when a helicopter came roaring by overhead. Through a bullhorn, the helicopter pilot boomed, "The water is still rising and your house is about to be swept away by the current. We'll throw out a rope and save you." Again, the old man replied, "No, God will save me!" The pilot said, "We can't be responsible for what happens to you if you don't let us save you!" But the old man was steadfast and would not allow them to save him.
As the water rose even more, the house was torn from its foundation and was swept away, breaking up in the raging torrent. The old man didn't have a chance and he drowned.
Now the old man finds himself standing in front of the pearly gates. He is very dismayed, and says to St. Peter: "I've been a good Christian all my life. I've always trusted in God, and indeed, God has saved me on many occasions. What have I done wrong? Why didn't God save me this time?"
To this, St. Peter replied, "I don't really understand what the problem is. We sent two boats and a helicopter!"



When we feel like we need God's help, we know that we can count on Him to be there for us. The problem is that we sometimes expect God to perform a sensational miracle to save us.
God doesn't usually resort to miracles when there are much more efficient ways to accomplish what He wants. All He needs to do is plant an idea in someone's head, or make sure help is available for us when we need it. It's up to us to do our part and not just sit around expecting God to do what we are perfectly capable of doing ourselves.

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I've been praying lately for direction.  I've wanted to volunteer but wasn't sure where.
Over the past several months I've received emails from the Director of Religious Education from our parish with information about CCD classes and such.  Every email contained a plea for help regarding the need for catechists and aides.  I've thought about helping out in the past, but figured I wasn't well suited for it.  However, this week I decided to go to my church for Adoration.  While I was there, I continued to pray for direction.  The very next day I received yet another email explaining the need for volunteers for the CCD program.  It was then that I remembered the story above.

I have a meeting with him next week to see in what capacity I can help. 

Are you like me and need to be hit over the head?  Or do you leave your heart open to hear God speaking?