Years ago, I admitted my age and the ever-increasing number of conversations I was missing.  I blamed it on soft talkers. The truth was the promise of my mother that if I don’t turn that noise down, I’ll go deaf, came true. Years of loud music, loud concerts, and loud lawn equipment have taken their toll.

The household mantra has become, “you don’t listen to me.” If Alabama has the football and it is third and seven on the LSU twenty-yard line, it is true I am not listening, I’m holding my breath to see what happens. Talk to me after the play! I did give up a couple of years ago and bought hearing devices. 

Speaking of hearing, I hear the sounds of football returning. I am rejoicing greatly. The dark period is almost over; we are less than a month away from kickoff. I don’t care who, we are going to be playing football again. If you want your team to win this year, come to Trinity Methodist I am offering the laying on of hands, anointing with oil, and fervent prayer for your team. You must be present to receive the football prayer.

I had a secretary once who could not hear. I was told by church members that when Ellen smiles it means she is not hearing a word you are saying. It seemed that Ellen smiled all of the time. When she would leave messages for me that involved phone calls they were always amusing and often incorrect.

I served a church with an associate pastor who was decades past retirement. He couldn’t hear even with his hearing aid. One day, he forgot the name of the dearly beloved we were burying. I couldn’t bail him out by whispering in his ear. I had to say loudly, “Her name is Helen Jones.” From then on, I made sure he had the name of the dearly departed written down.

The takeaway in this noise is that I have concerns that I am not hearing God. There is often too much noise in daily life. Even in prayer, we have such a long prayer list that by the time we tell God everything that is on our minds, we don’t have time to be quiet and listen to Him. I’m great at telling God stuff, I’m not so good at listening to His “still small voice.” The Hebrew behind that English phrase is better translated “the sound of utter silence.” Ponder that phase in your heart.

God speaks, most clearly in Jesus. He speaks. I confess that I need to do a better job of finding ways to listen for the “sound of utter silence.”

How is your heart hearing?