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There’s something deeply comforting about knowing that God is not distant.
He’s not hiding from us.
He’s not only speaking through dramatic moments or perfect spiritual routines.
And He’s not waiting for us to “get everything together” before He draws near.
In this episode of the Christian Moms Cafe podcast, I had the joy of sitting down with author, worship leader, educator, and voice teacher Sylvia Ledon for a beautiful conversation about learning to recognize the voice of God in our everyday lives.
And honestly? It felt less like an interview and more like sitting together over coffee talking about faith, motherhood, curiosity, and the gentle ways God meets us right where we are.
Sylvia shared stories from her childhood in Ecuador, her journey to faith, her work in ministry, and the inspiration behind her children’s book, The Voice of God. But more than anything, this conversation reminded me that hearing God’s voice is often much simpler—and much more relational—than we make it.
Meet Silvia Ledon
Silvia Ledon is a Cuban-born, Ecuador-raised author, speaker, worship leader, and educator with over 40 years of ministry experience. An award-winning children’s book author, Silvia weaves together her love for music, storytelling, and spiritual formation to guide people of all ages toward discovering God’s presence in everyday life.
A graduate of the Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation, she serves alongside her husband, Juan, as a missionary in Richmond, Virginia, working with immigrant communities. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Silvia has released her children’s book The Voice of God in both languages, extending its message of God’s nearness to an even wider audience.
Silvia’s passion is to help people move from a performative and exhausting version of faith into a life of joy, rest, and spiritual depth that is rooted in God’s love and presence.
God Was Speaking Before She Even Knew His Name
One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was hearing Sylvia describe how she sensed God’s presence as a very young child—even before she had ever heard about Jesus.
Raised in Ecuador and coming from a nonreligious background, Sylvia recalled how a childhood friend would talk to her about God through nature: the mountains, the beauty of the earth, the world around them. And somehow, even as a little girl, she felt connected to the Creator through those conversations.
Later, when she learned about Jesus as a teenager, everything suddenly made sense.
She described it so beautifully: she realized this was the One she had been searching for all along.
I think that’s such an encouraging reminder for moms. God is already pursuing our children. He’s already drawing near to them in ways we may not even fully see or understand. Yes, we teach. Yes, we guide. Yes, we disciple intentionally. But God’s love and presence are not limited to our methods.
He is always reaching.
We Don’t Always Leave Space for God to Speak
Sylvia also shared a story that I think so many of us can relate to.
She was walking through a difficult season as a mother, carrying deep concern for one of her daughters. During a walk outside, she poured out her heart to God—praying, crying, asking questions, releasing her burdens.
And then… she mentally moved on.
She started thinking about dinner. Laundry. Everyday responsibilities.
But in that moment, she sensed the Holy Spirit gently asking:
“Do you want to hear what I have to say?”
That question stopped her in her tracks.
And honestly, I think many of us need that reminder.
As moms, we spend so much time talking, planning, managing, teaching, helping, serving, and processing that we sometimes forget to become still enough to listen.
Not because we don’t love God.
Not because we lack faith.
But because life is loud.
Sylvia talked about how important it is to cultivate curiosity and openness with God instead of trying to control exactly how or when He speaks.
And that really stayed with me.
Sometimes we want God to speak:
- during our devotional time,
- through a specific scripture,
- or according to a certain spiritual formula.
But God is relational, not mechanical.
He may speak through:
- nature,
- silence,
- scripture suddenly coming alive,
- a conversation,
- peace,
- conviction,
- beauty,
- or even a moment we almost missed because we were distracted.
Curiosity Instead of Performance
One of the biggest themes in our conversation was the idea of curiosity.
Sylvia spoke about how children naturally live with wonder and openness—and how adults often lose that somewhere along the way.
And isn’t that true spiritually, too?
Sometimes our faith becomes overly rigid, overly performative, or driven by pressure instead of relationship.
We think:
- I need to wake up earlier.
- I need to pray longer.
- I need to do more.
- I need to “hear God correctly.”
Meanwhile, God may simply be inviting us into deeper awareness of His presence.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:3:
“Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Children are curious. Open. Honest. Receptive.
And Sylvia encouraged moms to cultivate that same posture—not only for ourselves, but alongside our children.
Not forcing perfection.
Not forcing performance.
But inviting our families into genuine connection with God.
Helping Our Children Know God Personally
As moms, one of our deepest desires is often to help our children develop authentic faith.
But how do we do that without making faith feel cold, rigid, or purely religious?
This part of our conversation felt especially important.
Sylvia reminded us that we cannot force faith onto our children. We can guide them, model it, and create space for spiritual conversations—but ultimately, relationship with God is personal.
And often, children experience God differently than we do.
That truth especially resonated when Sylvia shared about parenting her autistic son. She spoke with such tenderness about learning to trust that God communicates uniquely with each individual child.
That perspective was so freeing.
God knows how to reach our children.
He created them intentionally.
And He is not limited by personality, learning style, neurodiversity, or human expectations.
Sometimes, faith grows most deeply through:
- honest conversations,
- shared curiosity,
- storytelling,
- prayer,
- worship,
- beauty,
- and simply living authentically before our children.
Not through pressure.
Not through perfection.
Making Faith Come Alive at Home
One thing I loved discussing was the importance of making faith feel alive and relational inside our homes.
Not just checking spiritual boxes.
Not just “getting through” Bible reading plans.
But slowing down enough to really engage with truth together.
Sometimes one meaningful verse discussed deeply can impact a child far more than rushing through large amounts of scripture without connection or understanding.
Faith was never meant to be reduced to performance.
It’s meant to transform how we live, love, listen, and see the world.
And honestly, I think many moms need permission to simplify.
You do not have to create a perfect spiritual atmosphere every day.
You do not have to be a flawless example.
You simply need to keep inviting God into your real life—and let your children witness that relationship.
Sylvia’s Beautiful Children’s Book: The Voice of God
During our conversation, Sylvia also shared about her beautifully illustrated children’s book, The Voice of God.
The book explores how children can recognize God’s love and presence through everyday experiences, connection, peace, beauty, and affirmation.
It’s gentle, imaginative, and deeply rooted in the truth that God is always speaking love over His children.
The illustrations—created by artist Diana Canales Rojas—are absolutely beautiful and perfectly capture the warmth and wonder of the message.
The book also includes discussion prompts and conversation starters, making it a wonderful resource for families, homeschoolers, grandparents, and anyone wanting to nurture meaningful spiritual conversations with children.
You can learn more through Sylvia Ledon’s official website or As I Grow Publishing.
Final Encouragement for Moms
One sentence Sylvia shared at the end of the episode has stayed with me ever since:
“Stay open and curious. God loves you and is always speaking to you.”
What a beautiful reminder.
Mama, you do not have to strive your way into God’s presence.
You do not have to perform your way into hearing His voice.
You can slow down.
You can listen.
You can remain curious.
And even in the middle of dishes, laundry, parenting stress, uncertainty, and ordinary life…
God is still near.
He is still speaking.
And His voice is rooted in love.
