Attentive Listening

It was summertime. The kids and I had met with my friend and her kids at a nearby fast food place. The kids were having fun in the playland, while my friend and I were sitting nearby, immersed in some good conversation. It wasn't too long before we were interrupted by our eldest daughters who were complaining about one another. Almost as if we were in sync, my friend and I turned to our respective girls, had a good 30 second discussion to resolve the issue, and then turned back to continue our conversation as if we had never been interrupted.

I laugh to myself when I think about that incident because our actions were so precise that it probably looked rehearsed to any passing observer. But to the two of us, it was our way to not let any outside influence ruin the flow of fellowship. We wanted to be attentive listeners to one another.

Have you noticed how you respond when you want to hear someone speaking? If it's the TV, you raise the volume. When it's your children all talking at once, you designate one child to be heard first. If you are in a crowd, you try to either move closer to the person talking, or you isolate that voice in your mind so you can concentrate on each word.

In this world it is easier to be attentive to our friends and family than to God. They are right there in front of us or easy to reach by phone. To be attentive to God involves a different investment of time. In order to have a deeper relationship, I need to do some work. I need to spend time in worship so I can get my heart in the right place to meet Him. I need to read His Word, because it is His Love Letter to us. I need to pray, telling Him my fears, frustrations, dreams and desires. Then I need to be still so I can hear Him.

We cannot hear the Lord properly if we are distracted and our world is too noisy. He wants our undivided attention, and lately, I have been desiring that more and more. It is not always easy to make that time to be still and listen. But the time I invest getting closer to God will be a blessing first to me, and then to all those around me as I respond to His directions for my life.