Are you a good listener? I have to confess that sometimes I don’t listen well. We have an agreement at our house. When Virginia speaks I have to acknowledge it somehow. It can be a grunt, an “uh huh,” or “that’s nice,” or anything that denotes that I heard her. I can get so engrossed in a sporting event or the newspaper or thinking about a sermon that I don’t always hear her. Communication is a two way process. Sometimes I genuinely don’t hear her. Other times I hear noise but don’t realize the necessity of listening. (In my defense, she sings and talks to dogs, birds, and various inanimate objects!) She will occasionally give me a pop quiz and ask me to repeat what she said. I flunk that test time and time again, but we are learning to laugh about it. She promises to have better timing, and I vow to be a better listener. Thankfully we have a heavenly Father who is never distracted and who hears us every time we speak to Him. God delights in our lives, wants to help us in our troubles, and want to hear about our desires and fears. We are designed to go through life with God’s help. So talk to Him. Just honestly talk and then be silent and just listen.
– Dr. Tim Thompson