Just Over Here Listening

Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continually assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak, for Thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of the earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. ~ A.W. Tozer

Even though Tozer's prayer was written before the advent of most of our daily technology, I find myself requesting the same things. My days ARE noisy, and my ears are weary, too. So sometimes the Lord has to speak multiple times to me, just like He did with Samuel. I heard His voice in the joy of my gym buddy when he lands an incredibly high box jump.

I felt the nudge in my Holy Spirit hearing aids to go check on wrecks, two in the span of just a few days. I heard the first wreck when I was in the back yard battling the aphids on my tomato plants. I walked the half block to see if anybody needed coffee or a bathroom. Thankfully, everyone was calm and no one was injured in the two car collision. 

The next wreck happened on a Saturday morning in the pouring rain. Just a single car that took down a crape myrtle and a light pole. I quickly got in touch with a neighbor who had a porch closer than mine, and we waited in the shelter while she offered the driver a bottle of water.

The first zinnia bloom always woos me with God's whisper. These flowers I grew from seeds that originated in plants a sweet friend plunked in my flower bed shortly after I had surgery two years ago. The bright colors never fail to encourage me.

Slowing down challenges me. That's one of the reasons why spending time with small children is so good for me. They notice things! When I visited my Wonder Twin recently, her kids were playing in the yard with some neighbor kids. A tow headed seven-year-old found a tiny praying mantis, and his delight in sharing his discovery with the rest of us sounded a whole lot like the sound of our beloved Father's voice.