It takes an "ear" to "hear"...

When our children were elementary school students, I reviewed homework with them.  (Yes, the teacher in me never left.)  Spelling lists were a favorite since I especially enjoy language arts.  I reminded my children of a simple truth when learning the difference between "here" and "hear."  It takes an "ear" to "hear." 

As life continues, I realize how much more important it is to remember this as adults.  We may not need it for spelling purposes as much as we need to remember it in serving Him...and others.

One of my college professors told the true story of being in a wedding reception line.  As people passed through the line, he greeted each one with a respectful, but totally irrelevant, comment that should have caught their attention. Not one person noticed what he said!  I have never forgotten that example he shared. 

When there were no cell phones, computers or music headphones to distract people from hearing what he said then, I wonder what we miss among today's distractions.  I'm sure you have been in similar scenes as I have experienced repeatedly.  Someone begins a conversation and before I respond, they look elsewhere, talk to someone else and not only miss what I attempted to say, they ignore me completely.  Or someone's idea of a conversation is that they talk only about themselves to me and then they leave.  I have been there far too many times. 

If we treat each other like this, how often do we treat God in similar ways?  Do we talk to Him, telling Him our wants, needs, preferences and assumptions...then move on before we ever hear what He says?  Do we speak only about ourselves and forget that this life is much more about Him...than us? Do we push Him aside because we have more important things to do, people to see, places to go and words to speak elsewhere?

I also reminded our small children of another common observation. "God gave us two ears and one mouth. What does that mean?"  Personally, I think God was trying to tell us something. ♥~thl

"Then Jesus said, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'" Mark 4: 9