Hearing

We can learn to hear the voice of God.  Don’t move too quickly from that statement.  Backup a moment and read it again.  Sit with that thought until you are in awe of the opportunity and the magnitude of what that means.  

We learn to hear well by being in the scriptures and by listening prayer and by praying with others and listening together.  It is not something that can be gained if we are driven by productivity and efficiency and by constant “doing.”  Hearing is first a “being” thing.

Technology is a wonderful gift, but seems to increasingly fill our focus, mind, eyes, and ears.  When was the last time you just sat in the quiet for more than a few minutes?   Listening is a rare gift.  Many of us don’t stop talking and/or are planning our next thoughts to speak instead of hearing what the person with us is saying.  It is not a natural thing in our culture to stop, to focus, to hear, but when we do, there is much to be gained.  

I am grateful to live in a place that offers quiet.  Part of my routine through the years has been to get up early--sometimes it was the only quiet offered me in a day. Fortunately my body is naturally geared to that clock, but I have attempted to be present and focused, and to mine what is to be discovered in the quiet.  It seems best to me start the day that way, but I don’t think quiet has to fall in that block of the day.  I would just encourage you to try to block out some time (start with 10 minutes if you aren’t used to the practice) and begin.  Tell God you’d like to begin hearing what He is wanting to speak to you.  Have a paper and pen handy.  Jot on the right side of the page anything that begins to distract you so you can re-focus but won’t forget to tend to the need later, but try not to use the 10 minutes to compile a to-do list of everything that comes to mind, which might be the case once you let your mind start to quiet.  On the left side, jot down anything you start to hear.  

Photograph from morguefile.com by Penywise