Silent Listening

McKayla brought something to my attention a few days ago. She asked me, “Mom, did you know that the same letters that spell the word listen also spell the word silent?”

I had never thought about it, but it is true. I asked her what made her think of it and she said she didn’t know. I didn’t buy that answer, so I asked her if a teacher or someone else had taught this to her and she said, “Nope. Just thought of it.” Immediately I felt God whisper to my heart and I knew He wanted to teach me something through the words my daughter had just spoken. To listen, you must be silent. I was convicted.

Have you ever been on the telephone talking to someone and while you are trying to talk to them, they are speaking to someone else at the same time? I have been on the receiving end of this type of conversation many times over the years. Normally it doesn’t bother me, because I know what it’s like trying to carry on a phone conversation when the kids are in the same room. It’s nearly impossible! If I call someone about something that I feel is important or if I need a friend at that moment and the person on the other end is talking to someone else at the same time as they are talking to me, it feels like they aren’t taking my call seriously and what I have to say is not important.

Do I do God that way? You bet I do. I tell Him that I want to hear from Him, I want Him to speak to me, but then when He tries to, I have a million other things going on and I don’t fully lend and ear to Him. How many times He must have felt what He had to say wasn’t important to me!

The story of Mary and Martha makes me think of this same type of situation. You can read in Luke 10 for yourself for the whole story , but Martha was busy busy busy. Doing. Serving. It wasn’t that she didn’t welcome Jesus into her home, she did, just as I have welcomed Him into my heart, but she was very preoccupied with other things. The scripture doesn’t say that the things she was preoccupied with were bad things, but it does say that her sister, Mary, had chosen the “good” part.

“And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet.” Luke 10:39

Mary, unlike Martha, unlike Amy, was listening. She was seated at His feet. Still. Silent. All ears. You see, I, and maybe you too, have been seeking His direction about things and waiting for an answer. It’s not that He hasn’t attempted to answer me, but I haven’t been silent enough to listen and concentrate on what He has to say, paying attention nothing else. He’s a gentleman and is not going to yell louder than all of the other voices in my life. He simply says, “This doesn’t sound like a good time, I’ll call you back later.”

God, please forgive me for not giving You the attention You deserve as my Lord. I have come to You and asked You for guidance, however, I have disregarded the importance of listening silently for Your response. Thank you, Father, for continually speaking to me through my children. I wonder if sometimes that’s what You have to resort to because I haven’t devoted my mind completely to You and You can’t get me to listen any other way. I pray for the willingness to obey and be still before You and You alone. Thank You that You still continue to attempt to speak to me even when I only devote half an ear. Father, I want to tell You in this moment that Your voice is always welcome in my heart and I pray that I become more like Mary and chose “the good part”, which is You.

Amy Dotson, RPDOTK (Royal Princess Daughter Of The King)