Hearing God's Voice in Your Ordinary Moments | Heather Sheldon Comber

Struggling to hear God’s voice in everyday life? In this inspiring episode, pastor and author Heather Sheldon Comber shares how divine encounters often show up in ordinary moments—from tangled Christmas lights to life-altering loss. Discover practical wisdom and honest stories that will help you recognize and respond to hearing God’s voice in your own journey.

Scriptures referenced:

• Psalm 139
• Luke 1:26-38
• John 6:1-15
• John 10:27
• 1 Peter 2:2
• Psalm 42
• Psalm 91:1
• Matthew 6:9

Father Talks: A Journey of Honest Conversations, Laughter, and Intimacy With The Father

Heather's favorite Bible study tools:
NIV Bible | Leather-Bound Journal | The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible

Learn more about Heather at her website: www.HeatherSheldonComber.com

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction & Heather's Personal Journey
• 3:22 Heather's Calling to Ministry
• 8:04 Understanding Intimacy with God
• 11:33 Hearing God's Voice in Everyday Moments
• 15:56 Why Transparency and Vulnerability Matter in Hearing God's Voice
• 18:28 Finding God's Voice in the Ordinary
• 23:32 Learning to Hear God's Voice
• 27:48 The Heart Behind Heather's Writing
• 31:47 Book Information and Bible Study Tools

Transcript

Ellen Krause: 1:10

At the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. Our goal is to help you delight in God's Word and thrive in Christian living. Each week, we talk to subject matter experts who broaden your biblical understanding, encourage you in hard times and provide life-building tips to enhance your Christian walk. We are so glad you have joined us. Welcome back to the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. I'm Ellen, your host, and I'm so glad that you're joining us today.

Ellen Krause: 1:41

Have you ever wondered if your story, your everyday, seemingly ordinary life, could actually be meaningful in God's eyes? Or maybe you're in a season where God feels distant and you're longing to recognize his voice again? Well, today's guest, heather Sheldon Comer, has spent decades walking with people through both the beautiful and the broken parts of life. With over 25 years of experience as a pastor's wife and more than a decade as a lead pastor, heather brings a wealth of wisdom, authenticity and warmth. She's also a keynote speaker and the author of Father Talks, a spiritual memoir full of honest conversations, laughter and deep reflections on intimacy with God. Known for her transparent, almost humorous approach, heather has a gift for making people feel seen and for helping them see God in their stories too. We're talking today about how to recognize God's presence in everyday moments, how vulnerability can lead us deeper into intimacy with him, and what it means to live a life that reflects his voice. Heather, welcome to Copy.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 2:59

Bible Time. Yes, it's an honor to be here and thank you for the introduction. I was lucky.

Ellen Krause: 3:04

Yes, it's such a joy to have you with us, Heather. Why don't we start out with for those who may be new to your story, share a little bit about your journey, both personally and in ministry, and how it's shaped who you are today?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 3:22

I, you know, I was always envious. I'm I'm probably older, but you know, I grew up in that generation of the fantastic testimonies. You know I don't know if you remember the Dave Wilkerson's and the Nikki Cruz's, and we were fascinated by all those kind of incredible testimonies and I used to think I didn't have one because I was born in England and my dad pastored in Wales and I grew up I'm literally one of those kids that grew up in the pew and for a long time I thought like I didn't want to be Nikki Cruz, I didn't want to shoot anybody and then come to Jesus. But I always thought you don't have a testimony, you have nothing spectacular. And then I realized you know that how much I needed him.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 4:25

From a very young age and, coming from a large family five kids and mama was taking in strays it was I could always manage to find that alone time, that that precious alone time. Called to ministry, walk the aisle with my little hat on at 10, responding to the call of God in my life, went to seminary, ended up marrying. You know the typical story, which I did not want to happen. I did. I didn't want to be that, that person that went. So I made sure I had a boyfriend before I went, but that that didn't work out so well. I met my husband and we went into ministry and I was, you know, know, the it's not so typical anymore, but back then the typical pastor's wife. You know, you're, you're by the side, you, you do all the things. I played the piano, I, you know, I did all the things. And just through real transition in our life, my husband went back to school to get another degree that took him in another direction and we left ministry and I was devastated because I thought, well, good for him, but I still I feel called.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 5:46

And God took me through a journey Like we couldn't leave the city. We were pastoring a really large church at the time. We, we couldn't leave the city. We were, we were passing a really large church at the time and we couldn't leave the city. And but I had to support my family and God put me in all places. This lingerie shop in the mall. It was a good one, not a bad one, a good, a nice PJs kind, and I'm like God. How the mighty have fallen, you know, from sitting in the front row and playing the piano, and then I'm on my feet, you know, eight hours a day.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 6:20

Single mom in most capacities, because he was gone, you know, for a year, except for weekends. And through that process, miracles happen, happened. Things changed in my life, my perspective changed. I saw people in a completely different way. There's beautiful stories in the book about that. And then I went out on the road after that for 10 years constantly, um, flying, driving, train, whatever did it, all speaking. And then God shifted me again and into a lead pastor position, which I said no to three churches before the Lord's like. What do we got to do here, heather, you're called and I'm'm like seriously and he's like seriously.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 7:12

So I said yes and did that for over 10 years. I'm sounding old. Maybe I should make everything smaller. So I sound young, but let's just say period of time. So yeah, that that has been my journey, and in the middle are some pretty deep valleys and some pretty incredible mountains, but that's been my journey.

Ellen Krause: 7:38

Well, and what I hear from that is a beautiful woman and her wisdom that you have gained over the years by serving in so many different capacities and working with so many people and just being in God's word. So I find that so encouraging. You know, a big part of what you talk about is having intimacy with God. What does that look like to you?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 8:10

I think we start a lot of people. You know intimacy can be like a worldly term or a spousal term or relational term with other humans, and often we're not, we back away from it a little bit. What are you talking about? But when you break down the word intimacy, you arrive at the words into me. You see, and I think that is the most beautiful thing, that we in a relationship, any kind of relationship, but to know that, that kind of relationship, that kind of um, I, I had a cv, a resume and it, you know it always asked for a vision statement and on the top of mine it says to know him, to be known by him and to make him known. And I love it. I don't think I made it up, it's probably out there somewhere.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 9:12

But the point is, if we want that level of intimacy in any relationship, it starts with being vulnerable, it starts with being who you are and understanding your relationship to Father God. You can't hide In understanding a relationship to Father God you can't hide and I know this from being a pastor's wife, I know this from being in the public eye a lot. You know you have a presentation and people will judge that. But with Father God, psalm 139 says for I made you, I know all your hidden parts, I there is nowhere to run. Literally, david said if I make my bed in hell, like, in other words, like if I try to get to the furthest place from where you are not gonna work because you're even there.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 10:06

So I think, just as any relationship, just understand he already knows you, don't have to hide. It's not like a website where you want to find somebody. But if this perfect picture and maybe it's not even you, you borrowed it to attract attention and and God is saying listen, I made you, I know everything you about you, and that took me to the cross. So that door is open. That door is open. And think about creation. I always call it creation's kiss, because when you establish this universe, he spoke let it be, let it be, let it be. But when it came to humans, god's face touched our face, he breathed life into his nostrils. Like, try to get close to somebody you know, try to breathe in someone's nostrils without getting close. It's just impossible. Yeah, that's the relationship, that's what he's looking for and that's what we run to.

Ellen Krause: 11:09

That's what we run to. That's such a beautiful way of just actually really visualizing it in your mind and seeing that God is there, he is with us, he knows everything about us. Was there a specific moment in your life where you felt like you knew and recognized God's voice?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 11:33

There's so many extraordinary moments that, talking about that, that one time in my life where you know we were transitioning and it was hard, I was making minimum wage and I'll make this really quick, it was one. It was a Christmas and I don't know about other women, but I cannot get in my head that those little twinkle lights aren't going to burn me down Like I. I have to have them off. And I was laying in bed one night and I was like, did I turn the Christmas lights off? Did I turn? And I was just over and over my mind and I thought, heather, just get out of bed. It was getting really late, go check.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 12:14

I went down, you know we had three stairs down to our main, to where you came in the front door, and three stairs down to our family room and I turned on the light so I wouldn't break my neck, going to check these lights in the family room and I going to check these lights in the family room and I heard God speak. I not not like Heather, but you know you recognize his voice and he was like stand still. I'm like these Christmas lights have got to me, they've really got to me. And I was like. I was like, why no, I just came to drop the lights. Stand still, heather, don't move.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 12:49

And I, ellen, I do not know why I obeyed, but I did Perfectly, still actually sat on the floor and I said just let me know, Lord, what's going on. And then, within about two or three minutes, I was like you can get up now. I got out, turned off the lights, came back up the stairs, the lights had been left on and I noticed in our front door in that two or three minutes I was sitting still on the ground a huge envelope had been tucked through our front door. If I had not obeyed I know me, I'm nosy I would have opened the door. But in that envelope was provision, hundreds and hundreds of dollars that took us through that Christmas. And it sounds so simple, but it was extraordinary. It was sitting on the ground when I felt like a complete nut bar really, because I was worried about Christmas lights. But God, god will use it and he will speak and we will learn to recognize his voice.

Ellen Krause: 14:56

Yes, I think. Thanks for sharing that. First of all, I think that that is something that I think a lot of people conversations, just to show people that that God is there and that we also can recognize his presence. And I hope that, as we get into this a little bit more, if you're listening to this, that you'll um continue to be encouraged that God is there, god is with you, god is speaking into your life. You wrote this memoir, father Talks, and I love that. It has all of your wonderful sense of humor, your vulnerability and what inspired you to share these stories with just random people, because a lot of them are just so personal.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 16:10

I know, um, I think transparency is a journey. I think it's natural to as humans, it's really natural to protect ourselves, and especially if you're in public and you would know that, ellen, it's, it's very natural. But, um, two years ago now, I had a two and a half. I had a seven hour surgery. That was totally unanticipated and it's such a disappointment and scary in many ways and I didn't know what to do with everything that God was showing and teaching me and I love people, I love communicating, and it just seemed God began to download.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 16:59

This whole entire book was written almost within the, the time of recovery and the time of walking through. Are you kidding me? Disappointment, um, just all the things, all the emotions, like a feeling you didn't deserve it, you know, just being honest with God, like I, why, and? And out of that just came this this need to say other people feel like this. Other people have gone through this a lot sooner than I have and in maybe even darker and deeper, and I want to share. I want to share what you're teaching me. I'm not an A-plus by any means on that test, but I want to be and I want to share, and that's where this was birthed.

Ellen Krause: 17:54

This whole book was birthed during that season, tough season, yes, yes, and I think during those seasons especially, you know when you're in that state of of rest, or forced rest, almost right. Your mind, though, isn't right. Your mind was at work and it was putting all of these memoirs together. Your daughter wrote the foreword of the book, and there's one part where she says my mom is an extraordinary woman. Of that there is no doubt, and her life in many ways has been extraordinary too. But I assure you, reader, though I do not know you, your life, if chronicled, like the stories in this book, from the perspective of knowing the millions of ways God has intervened or walked alongside you, is extraordinary too. I thought that that was such a great message going into reading these, for people to recognize that you have them too.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 19:03

Yeah, we do, we do, and she, one mama moment. She's extraordinary. She's in politics here in our nation of Canada and she's extraordinary, but I love that what she wrote. She's a fabulous writer. She has to be in the work she does, but I loved that draw. You know that. Hey, listen my mom, that this is what I know her to be the good, the bad, everything.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 19:33

But the things that have happened in our life are no different than your stories if you really want to share them, and I think that has been a quest I've been on my whole life, starting ministry at 21, like 20 actually. And just, let's be real people. Let's drop all this facade and this need to be this example of perfection as a pastor's wife or, eventually, the lead pastor or a conference speaker that goes in and out of your life in a matter of days or hours. Let's just. I just want people to be free to be, to realize their own extraordinariness if that's a word, yes and to just be, and don't be afraid to just be yeah, how would you suggest our listeners start noticing the extraordinary in their own lives, and why do you think that's important for them to do?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 20:38

I think that they have to realize that I I preached to whatever you know church. I was in that. Supernatural is one word, but really it's two words and it's a combination of God, super and natural us. And it's when that supernatural comes together. God wants to work with us. He wants to work with us in the everyday things. We have this image of special people and you know, as believers, we're no different than the world. We have our people, we have our elites, that we that we look at.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 21:23

But but the supernatural is so simple that it happened with mary, a little girl. She was probably no more than 14 or 15. The super worked with the natural to produce the extraordinary, to produce jesus christ, our lord. And you see that, oh, you see the mama who baked the bread and put the little fishes in a in a lunch bag for her child, and there you see how many thousands of people. That that's what god, that god. We have to take our mind off that I, to reach the land of extraordinary, to reach the land of the supernatural elite, we have to do something. This lady packed a lunch. This young girl sat still and loved Jesus, and that's where it happens. That's where he's going to work and make your story extraordinary. If you desire him and seek him and you know, he said my sheep know my voice he wouldn't ask us to listen if he wasn't able to be heard.

Ellen Krause: 22:30

Right, right. I think that so many times we are planting seeds that we don't know. You know, in heaven maybe one.

Ellen Krause: 22:42

I mean, I think I look forward to that one day in heaven is knowing, like being just completely surprised by something little that we thought was you know nothing that God used just in mighty ways, and so I I hope that, um, so I hope that if you're listening to this, that you can trust that God uses these ordinary moments and one day in heaven we will have a greater understanding and sometimes we get the pleasure of being aware of how they've affected people here on earth as well. Of how they've affected people here on earth as well. Do you have any advice that you would give to someone who's struggling to discern God's voice?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 23:33

I think it comes, and I'm really not into formulas and rules and legalism at all, but I will say that his voice has been recorded in the word of god and and that is so important and I know sometimes it's really hard because there's there's parts there that are like paul's epistles man, I love them, I could eat them every day, but they're deep and they have depth, and I was, was. I was even reading in Peter last night the difference between meat and milk, you know. So I would say to people listen if, if you don't really know how to start this journey, pick up the word of God, pick up the Psalms of David. When I cannot focus and there are times I can't, and when I cannot my heart is too heavy or my mind is too full, I'll pick up his, one of my, and they say what I want to say. That's what I love about David. We are going to meet him in heaven and it's going to be such a great talk. We are just going to talk for a millennia. Because he expects he likem 42 as the deer pants for streams of water. So my soul longs for you. But then, at the same chapter, he's like but all your waves have gone over me. Why so downcast, oh my soul. Pray, make these your prayers if you're afraid. Psalm 91, he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Pick up his word and make it yours. Pray it until you get to the place where the words become your own.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 25:29

I love when the disciples, who are good Jewish boys they've been brought up in synagogue. They had prayers that were now I lay me down to sleep Probably not that one, but you know what I mean. They had road prayers and they came to Jesus like I don't know, like how do we pray now? You know they knew this was a new and different day and I love that. The first thing he taught them was our father. He put us all together, our put us all in a family and he gave us a dad and in that relationship, everything else we need flows out of that provision help and temptation. Everything is a conversational prayer. So take the word of God and do what these people did, because they were wore different clothes and, you know, taught different, but they're us.

Ellen Krause: 26:25

They're us. Yeah, yeah, absolutely Well, heather, as we start to wrap things up here, what do you hope readers will take away from your memoir father talks, and how do you envision it impacting their spiritual lives?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 26:46

spiritual lives Two things. I remember a conference I'd been invited to speak at and it was the shortest introduction I've ever been given in my life. But he said this is why I brought Heather in, because every time she opens her mouth to speak I love Jesus more and I thought I will never, ever, ever forget that and I think I just want people to know him. I really, really, really want and through things that I've gone through in my life where you know you could be misunderstood or you're maybe an outlier is the word we use today and sometimes all these things separate us from Jesus because we don't feel that we are good enough or we don't fit. And I just want, by my transparency and my vulnerability. I just want, by my transparency and my vulnerability, through the pain. You know there's a record of a loss of a child in this book and then there's hilariously funny and it happened to everybody, like my daughter her name is Alyssa and, like she said, extraordinary moments are there, they're not hidden. Said, extraordinary moments are there, they're, they're not hidden.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 28:15

And the god who spoke to the patriarchs into the disciples is a god who breathed breath, who touched humanity's face with his own. Is what I want people to know that there is more than you have to achieve something by doing this, this or this. He loves you. I don't always get it. I don't always. I can find millions of reasons why he shouldn't like me Every day, but if I didn't earn his love, I can't remove it. And I want people to know the love of Jesus. I want them to be not afraid, whatever place they're at. People are on this journey and we need to be kind to one another. We need to give people grace to grow and to become, and I I guess I just it's all out there. I mean not everything, but a lot, and it's out there and if it helps people. Love Jesus, know him, be known by him, make him known, yes, there's the goal.

Ellen Krause: 29:22

Yes, absolutely, and I think, at least as I was reading your memoirs. It causes you as a person to reflect on your own, and I think that people will be encouraged by that as well, because where you might have an example of honesty or things that you refer to in our own lives, we also can think back and relate to that, and I love how you have some thoughtful questions and it helps the reader be able to do that, and beautiful prayers at the end of each chapter.

Ellen Krause: 30:05

Where can our listeners learn more about your work and your book?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 30:10

Well, my website is up. It's still being developed wwwsheldoncombercom, where you can get the book, and there'll be more postings and hopefully in time, there'll be more lives going on with other people. Amazon I would encourage you to go to amazon. There's quite a few um reviews. Read them. Read the what they did for other people. Yes, wwwheathersheldonconvercom is the website where it's available. But, quickly, it's available too on amazon, whatever country you know that that you are. It's it's you are it's. It's available in some bookstores and it's some websites in Europe. But for our purposes, amazon or the website is where you're going to find it.

Ellen Krause: 31:01

We will make sure we include all of those links in our show notes. Before I let you go, though, we have to ask you our favorite questions here, what Bible is your go-to Bible and what translation is it?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 31:16

My go-to Bible I've had for 25 years. It's pretty torn up in some places but it's the new international version and that I love. For me that's very now. My dad passed away in the last few years. The book is dedicated to him and he loved the message and so I think in this state he was in it ministered to him, but for me always NIV Very good, that's where I go.

Ellen Krause: 31:50

Do you have any favorite bible journaling supplies or anything you like to use to I?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 31:58

I just use um notes on my computer, but I have this leather bound journal. It's got my deepest thought. Sometimes I don't want anybody to see it. When we have guests I hide it because I don't want. I just it's so private, it's so you know. But yeah, that's I. I do a lot of of writing like that, a lot of thoughts. That's that's what I love to do.

Ellen Krause: 32:26

Last question here what is your favorite app or website for Bible study tools?

Heather Sheldon Comber: 32:31

Honestly, my son is on an app, but if he was, he would be because he is my go-to, for he's a scholar in Greek and Hebrew and he's a professor and a pastor. He's brilliant and if I had something messed up, I'll up. I'll say no, ma, that's not what that means. So my son is my favorite app, but he's not an app, but he is my absolute go-to. But there are lots, there's lots of. You have to be careful because different, different um silos in in in christianity have different answers. So I would make sure that you're finding something that lines up with the Word of God, because apps can be tricky and you can read this whole and then underneath it's, like you know, they deny the deity of Christ or something. So, yeah, right, how?

Ellen Krause: 33:26

awesome that you have a son that you can go to. I know my daughter when she studied Greek, it was so hard to learn. And my son-in-law has been taking Hebrew for his Master of Divinity, and so those are tough to learn and how awesome that you have easy access there.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 33:48

So that's a blessing.

Ellen Krause: 33:53

You have easy access there, so that's a blessing. Yeah Well, heather, thank you so much for being with us today, for sharing your wisdom. I appreciate it so much.

Heather Sheldon Comber: 33:58

I do too, ellen, thank you. Thank you so much for having me for this opportunity.

Ellen Krause: 34:03

Absolutely, and if you're listening and you want to go deeper, be sure to check out Heather's book Father Talks. It really is a heartfelt invitation to pay attention to God's voice, to laugh a little more and lean into a faith that's honest and real. We hope today's conversation has encouraged you to reflect on your own journey and how God might be speaking to you even now. Until next time, thank you so much for being with us here on the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. Have a blessed day you.