Open My Ears

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.  Proverbs 1:5

The first act of love is to listen.  Paul Phillips

There is a well known game that we used to play in our youth fellowship circle in Snellville years ago.  It was called the “whisper game”.  The youth would make a circle, someone would start and whisper in the next person’s ear.  They in turn would whisper in the next person’s ear and so forth.  At the end, the last person would tell what he heard.  It was always entirely different from the way it started.  For example, “I gave my brother a ride to work became my mother can ride a stork.”

It always proved to me that listening and hearing are two different things entirely.  Sometimes people totally miss what others are trying to communicate because although they think they are listening, they aren’t hearing the message as it is often misconstrued.

It made me think of things that I don’t want to miss or misconstrue in this life because I don’t open my ears.

I don’t want to miss the power and presence of the people around me especially children and older adults.  These two groups can teach us all so much if we take the time to open our ears to their message.  How many of us get down to the child’s level, make eye contact, and truly listen to them without just pretending .  Their outlook on life is amazing if we only take the time to hear.  It’s the same with the older adults in our midst.  How many of us are willing to take time to sit with them and listen to their stories with our ears and our hearts?  Their words are full of history as well as life truths.  How I wish I had listened more intently to family members as they told  stories of their past.

I don’t want to miss hearing what my heart is saying to me because I don’t open my ears  Many times my heart is nagging me to visit someone I love or I know is lonely, make that cake for a family with illness, write that note to lift someone’s spirits, and on and on.  Sometimes I dismiss it with, “I’ll do that later”, but later never comes.  I don’t want to miss it.

I don’t want to miss the times when God speaks to me.  I know many days when I don’t take the time to open my ears to listen, and I miss so many lessons, advice, and wisdom that comes from Him.  I know He loves me just as I am, but I am thankful that He loves me too much to leave me where I am.  He waits patiently until  I am ready to listen.

There is an old hymn which sums it all up:   Open my eyes that I may see; Glimpses of truth thou hast for me; Place in my hand, the wonderful key;  that shall unclasp and set me free. Chorus: Silently now, I wait for Thee, ready my Lord thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me;  Spirit Divine.    Open my ears that I may hear ; voices of truth thou sendest clear,  And while the wave notes fall on my ear;  Everything false will disappear.    Open My Eyes by  Clara H. Scott

I don’t miss to miss it because I’m not seeing and listening!