listening ears

Two-year-olds don’t listen very well when there is only one of them, and they listen even less well when there are six of them. In those instances where two kids are crying, two more are hitting the crying ones, and the other two are pulling all the books out with no intention of putting them back, I muster up all of my patience and say, “friends, where are your listening ears?”. Some days they all look at me immediately upon hearing this, but usually I have to ask them each individually. They reach up and put their little hands on both their ears, showing me that “their listening ears are on”. In all honesty, I sometimes like when they are not listening just a little bit because it’s so incredibly cute to watch them “put their listening ears on”.

It had never really occurred to me that there might be instances where my listening ears aren’t on. Then a few days ago reality hit. My small group was doing an exercise in listening to God where we were supposed to ask him for a symbol of our relationship with him and let him lead us to it. Well, once I remembered the assignment a few days later, I asked him to show me what my symbol was. Then I went about my life, taking care of Max, working, trying to fit my relationship with Eric in there somewhere. Finally, this week, I had to admit that I hadn’t heard back from God about my symbol. “I waited,” I said, “he didn’t give me anything.” My small group leader assured me that was fine and asked me about what the whole process was like for me. I ended up talking all about Max and how he wakes up a lot at night and needs a lot of attention and on and on and on. “Do you think Max might be your symbol, Lizz?” she asked. CRAP! How could I have missed it?! Max is the symbol of everything God is trying to teach me at this stage in my life, I even blogged about it earlier this week! Crap Crap Crap. He's been trying to tell me this whole time! WHERE ARE MY LISTENING EARS?!!

I had to face the facts. When it comes to my relationship with God, I can read my bible 24/7, pray unceasingly, and love others with all that I have, but If I do not have my listening ears on, I am missing a HUGE part of a relationship with Him. How can I possibly know what He wants for me if I am not listening? How can I overcome fear, and temptation, and just plain evilness if I am not listening to Him? Well I pretty much can't. So it's time to put on my listening ears.