Obviously that's our ideal, not always our reality. However, I would guess that of the thousands of words we hear every day, there are at least a few of them that snap us into that type of listening. I wonder what those things would be for you. Blogging is fun, but it is terribly one-sided. Today, in particular, I wish I could hear each of you tell me what things captured your ear.
These things got my eyes, ears, heart, hands and undivided attention lately:
* My Man and I went to the orphanage to talk to Pastor Mike. We had a great talk, and as usual I left feeling extremely humbled and so grateful that I get to know such people as these. In our conversation we discussed the inconsistent electricity that is life in Guinea. The schools here are coming up on exam time and he told us that around this time all the kids crowd at the airport in the evenings to sit under the lights in the parking lot. It's the only place with enough light to study.
* Our missionary neighbor was rejoicing with us that he just put up some solar panels. For the first time in 9 years they'll have a refrigerator and be able to freeze food!
* Prayer request time on Fridays with my friends is one of those times that leaves me intrigued. A few from this week include more than one request for friends with AIDS, frustration with doctors here who won't even tell people they have it a lot of the time because the news is a death sentence so they think it's better if they just don't know, another request for a friend who is in a situation here that is frighteningly similar to the one portrayed in the film "Not without My Daughter". There were requests for multiple missionary families who have faced such hardship and sickness that they are weighted with discouragement, and some are returning to the States.
* I was on a walk with my kids a few days ago and traffic was especially heavy. I kept directing their path around the vehicles that would come from various directions. In the middle of all that, I thought how I want my kids to grow and learn to avoid danger without helplessly waiting for my direction. Then I heard something...well, maybe I didn't so much "hear" as I did sense the LORD was teaching me something. I think that's what HE wants for us too. We are HIS children and HE wants us to grow up! When we're little we need to be told to do everything. As we mature into someone like our FATHER, though, we will start acting and responding like HIM without even stopping to ask, "What do I do here? and here? and here? and here?" For me, the times I am doing that, fear is at the root of it. I am afraid of messing up. It is easier for the LORD to just tell me what to do than it is to just walk confidently that HE has supplied me with HIS SPIRIT to do it!
May GOD give us all ears to hear! (and eyes and hands and hearts, too)
Keep listening Beautiful Ones!
* Prayer request time on Fridays with my friends is one of those times that leaves me intrigued. A few from this week include more than one request for friends with AIDS, frustration with doctors here who won't even tell people they have it a lot of the time because the news is a death sentence so they think it's better if they just don't know, another request for a friend who is in a situation here that is frighteningly similar to the one portrayed in the film "Not without My Daughter". There were requests for multiple missionary families who have faced such hardship and sickness that they are weighted with discouragement, and some are returning to the States.
* I was on a walk with my kids a few days ago and traffic was especially heavy. I kept directing their path around the vehicles that would come from various directions. In the middle of all that, I thought how I want my kids to grow and learn to avoid danger without helplessly waiting for my direction. Then I heard something...well, maybe I didn't so much "hear" as I did sense the LORD was teaching me something. I think that's what HE wants for us too. We are HIS children and HE wants us to grow up! When we're little we need to be told to do everything. As we mature into someone like our FATHER, though, we will start acting and responding like HIM without even stopping to ask, "What do I do here? and here? and here? and here?" For me, the times I am doing that, fear is at the root of it. I am afraid of messing up. It is easier for the LORD to just tell me what to do than it is to just walk confidently that HE has supplied me with HIS SPIRIT to do it!
May GOD give us all ears to hear! (and eyes and hands and hearts, too)
Keep listening Beautiful Ones!
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