Time to Listen

With five kids in the house, usually all talking at the same time, I find that I spend quite a bit of the day not listening to them.  I've become so used to all of the chatter that I often just tune them out.  That is terrible, I know.  Even more terrible is that I have been known to wear headphones just so they would think I was listening to something else and I would not be expected to listen to them.  I am recognizing that I need to become a better listener.

Listening is a very important skill.  It requires an intentional effort of being quiet, a turning of your attention in a specific direction and a certain degree of sincere interest. In our world full of chatter it is easy to tune out the noise and neglect the effort to listen.  My youngest often takes my face in his hands and turns my head toward him so that he knows he has my attention. Apparently he has learned that from me when I've wanted him to listen to what I was saying to him.

Not only do I find myself not listening to my children as I should, I also fail at times to listen to God.  This has prompted Him to lovingly cup my face in His hands and turn my gaze toward Him. "Look at me, Terha.  I am saying something important that you need to hear."

Listening to God is a crucial element in my relationship with Him.  There are times when not listening to God might be associated with a rebellious spirit or deliberate disobedience. But for me, most of the time my failure to listen is due to my spiritual head phones of laziness and busy-ness.

I remember learning about prayer being conversational.  When I heard this idea of a two way conversation between me and God it revolutionized my prayer life.  I talk - He listens.  He talks - I listen, (keeping in mind the old adage that I have two ears and one mouth so I should listen twice as much as I speak.)  Of course, it would be easier some times if He would speak in an audible voice so that I could be certain of what He's saying.  Even so, by His grace I'm learning to recognize His voice with greater certainty and regularity.

Tuning out sometimes seems easier than exerting the energy it takes to listen. However, being a purposeful listener will definitely benefit my relationship with God and with my children.  Therefore,  I think it's probably time to take off the spiritual and physical head phones that I've grown accustomed to wearing ...  and listen.