Did you ever think teens are a lot like toddlers? My
13-year-old grandson was at my home recently. I asked him to get dressed, put
all his things in his bag and roll up his sleeping bag. He did the first one.
Then his focus shifted, and the other two were not finished. Toddlers are like
that. Their focus is easily diverted. My grandson is exceptionally bright
(bragging rights here), but multi-tasking is not his forte. He’s too easily
distracted. Fortunately, for both young teens and toddlers, they usually
outgrow that lack of focus.
While I can usually keep all the balls in the air as I
juggle life’s circumstances, there are times when my focus gets diverted, too.
I really want to focus on God’s grace, my calling and the path he puts before
me. I go to church and pray, “Hear my prayer, oh Lord,” or “Lord have mercy.” I
ask for guidance and strength, healing and understanding. But do I listen to
how God is speaking to me, or is my focus soon diverted to other things?
Perhaps I am a bit like a toddler or a young teen with lots
of distractions as well as lots of growing room. It takes practice to listen.
Especially since God does not usually speak directly to me as another human
being would. I have to focus to hear God. I hear him when I am deliberate. I
can feel his presence when I take a walk or when I am near the ocean. It’s his
world and he speaks through nature.
I also hear him when I read his Word, the Bible. Whatever
you believe about the truth of the Bible, there is no denying it is great
literature and there are lessons to be learned from reading it. God’s voice can
be heard in what I believe is inspired writing.
Another way I hear God is in the voices of others who know
him. Preachers, writers, speakers, musicians and good friends can be the voice
of God to me. It’s true, scripture says we need to compare what someone teaches
with the Bible, but often the people God placed in my life speak his truth to
me.
And in silence, I hear God speaking to me. But that means I
have to be quiet. Not lose my focus on God, but listen to him. Thoughts shoot
through my head – I’m wired that way and so are you – but I gently put them
aside and revert to silence. It is in silence that I hear him most often.
I am a noticer. Almost anything can distract me. But silence
is a spiritual discipline I actually practice. Like playing an instrument well
needs practice, so does listening for God’s voice. So I practice silence. I’m
not always good at it, just as if I were learning a new piece of music. But
practice leads to improvement. And I want to hear God speaking to me.
Be still before the Lord, all mankind ...
-- Zechariah 2:13
