LISTENING

Listening...
I talk a lot. I am not always sure that I even listen to myself when I talk. But here are three things that made me think about listening yesterday.
When I was explaining to my friend Won Ton Tawnya how incredibly wrong the week was, she responded by saying “I want you to tell me EVERY word.” Can you believe that? Tawnya, who has two boys under the age of four, who is temporarily living across the state from her husband because they have sold their old house and the new house isn’t ready yet said she had time to hear every word of my stories. Her life is busy and she said she wanted to hear my stories...what an incredible gift of friendship – just having someone offer to truly listen.

My journal last night had a saying by Raquel Welch that said “You can’t fake listening.” Don’t you believe this? I know that there are times when students come into my office for advising wanting to explain to me why it is necessary to AGAIN drop a class and I just nod and think about what I am going to make for dinner. While I think I have put on my ‘professional mask’ I am sure that I portray the “I am not listening” face. You just can’t fake it.

Finally, I have to admit, when the week presented challenge after challenge, sick husband after sick dog, difficult student after difficult student, I admit I was thinking “Lord, can’t you hear me? Can’t you see that we are suffering? Can’t you help us?” And although I am sure He was whispering to me, I just was so taken away by what was around me, I couldn’t hone in on the Spirit. I couldn’t hear his response. Was He listening?

My devotional yesterday said that the WORD of GOD is only alive, effective and powerful when we RECEIVE it. Communication in any form, in order to be received, must first be SENT. Therefore, I have to be sure that when I sent out my prayer, the ever present, ever powerful savior must have HEARD it. In turn to communicate to me I have to be ready to receive it, either through the STUDY of his WORD or WHISPER of the SPIRIT, or the CALM ASSURANCE in devoted PRAYER. Funny, I didn’t hear him answer...because I didn’t spend time to RECEIVE it. I just can’t fake listening...and in turn, the challenges were more challenging, the decisions more difficult, the pain a bit more hurtful.

Deuteronomy 30:10-20a: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSINGS and CURSES. Now CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live and that you may LOVE the LORD, LISTEN TO HIS VOICE, and HOLD FAST to HIM.”

Heavenly Father, I want to listen. I want to hold fast to you. Remind me that to hear your voice and to hold fast to you requires that I RECEIVE the Holy Spirit. It is active participation in this communication process that you require. Help me to become a better listener, Lord, because I need your presence, your answers, and your peace so desperately in my world RIGHT NOW. But Lord, thank you that at this VERY moment, I can HEAR you. And Lord thank you that I can also hear the snores of my husband and the deep breaths of Boone. They are precious to me, Lord, please heal them, and help me to know how I can ease their pain. Amen.