God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. Blessed be God! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me.” Psalm 66:19-20
Hearing ain’t necessarily listening. On one of our recent post-retirement adventures, my wife Judy and I decided to head over to Branson, Missouri to see the Sights and Sounds production of the Biblical story of Esther. It was amazing—both the story and the production. It was amazing how the production company was able to make it all come alive right before our eyes. It was even more amazing to see how God orchestrated this masterful plan to save His children from certain annihilation. Needless to say, we enjoyed the show very much.
While we were in Branson, Judy wanted to do some shopping, which was quite the mystery since she is not much of a shopper. But the truth was she was a woman on a mission. One of our grandson’s 13th birthday was coming fast and she wanted to get just the right thing for him. We went to a place called Branson Landing which is a great place to look for birthday presents. As it turns out it was also a great place to get lunch. Now that is always something I can get into.
The restaurant we chose was called the Brickyard and offered a great variety of good old comfort food. But it also offered something else—a great view of the bluffs and river that flowed right outside their building. When the hostess was going to seat us, Judy asked if we could sit by a window. She heard Judy and sat us right by a window. The only problem was she sat us in a booth that was taller than her or me (which isn’t saying a lot) so even though the river was right there, and the window was right there—we couldn’t see a thing. Bummer.
Well, I said to Judy what I knew she was thinking—that didn’t work out exactly how we planned it. The hostess heard her, but she didn’t listen to the intent—Judy wanted a see what was outside. “Oh well,” I said, “at least she tried.” End of story—and end of the view. But then something happened. The manager of the restaurant came over and asked us, “Would you rather sit at this table in front of the window so you can see the river?” Bingo. You see (no pun intended) he was standing there when you made her request. He heard it but he also listened and understood what was important.
So, we moved to the table with a view and enjoyed a great meal with a great view and it all happened because someone not only heard but listened. So how about you? Are you a good listener? Do you only hear words, or do you listen to the heart of the message? It isn’t always easy, but it is always doable. It often means putting aside what you want to say or do next to grasp what is truly being said and trust me—that is a valuable thing—especially to the one speaking.
I’m glad to let you know that God is great at hearing but more importantly He is great at listening. He not only hears the words we speak but He listens to our heart to get the heart of the message. So, let me encourage you to hear, but even more importantly to listen. And, more importantly, let me encourage you to trust that your Heavenly Father is listening and understanding. And because of that—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 