Sunday, February 10, 2008

Listening

I've always been told that I'm a "good listener". Being shy by nature, I tend not to say anything unless I actually have something to say. Which means that I spend a lot of time listening. Which means I hear a lot of things. A LOT of things.

Over the years I've gotten better at tuning things out. Take Wednesdays, for example, I have learned to tune out the delighted screams of the kids who come for S.N.A.C.K. Time on Wednesday afternoons. Though every so often one kids piercing screams will sneak through. And when I'm trying to sleep I always hear that barking dog or the sound of the neighbor kid having a party because his parents are out of town. Of course.

It seems, though, that when I'm really desperately listening for God's voice, I never hear it. No joke, the harder I listen, the softer that voice gets. I'm at that place right now. I've been asking a question and getting nothing, nada, zip. Just more confliction and static. Ugh. I'll keep asking, hoping that the answer will be clear and that when it comes I will hear it loud and clear.

1 comment:

trinity said...

Yesterday in my Sunday School class we looked at the story of Jacob and Easu. And you know what jumped out at me as I prepared for the days discussion? No. I thought not.

What stood out was the amount of time that story covers. It is not the flannel board story of my own Sunday school years. Isaac prays for his wife to have a child for 30 years before she actually gives birth. She gets some bound to be trouble twins out of all that time in prayer, not the answer they were looking for I am sure.
Isaac also gets the blessing that his father was promised, so that again took over 100 years to show up.

Maybe my friend this is not what you or I want to hear, but maybe it is comforting at the same time, to know that just because you are listening for the voice of God doesn't mean He is speaking or acting at the moment, and it might very well be quite sometime before He does.