More From Terry J. Burns

“I want to be a diligent listener.”  I work on that goal every day, and I have done so for many years, including the 25 years in which I taught first grade children.  I often talked with my students about the importance of being good listeners.  In first grade terms, we discussed hearing as a physical event that takes place when sound waves reach an eardrum and cause it to vibrate.  I challenged my students to consider listening as a much more complicated process.  To listen effectively, my first graders and I had to pay close attention to the sounds we heard, process possible meanings of those sounds, and observe our surroundings for additional details that might inform what we learned as we listened.

Just as my first grade students needed frequent reminders about the importance of listening, I find that I often need to revisit that lesson for myself.  Like the hurried kayakers mentioned in today’s devotional, I fail to focus on what is important; I do not grasp the deeper meanings and possibilities in my interactions with others because my mind is elsewhere—thinking about tasks that I need to complete or flitting from one tangential thought to another.  Reciting scripture, such as the verses highlighted today, helps me to regain my focus.  Another helpful verse is Isaiah 43:19, in which God calls upon us to pay attention to the “new thing” that God is doing.  When I answer this call and listen carefully, I discover new opportunities to serve and to pray.

During a recent trip to Europe, I experienced this kind of listening.  When my husband and I arrived in Brugge, Belgium, our map indicated that our hotel was a short walk from the train station.  After more than 30 minutes of pulling heavy suitcases along cobblestone streets, we realized that our map lacked the detail we needed.  We were lost.  Thankfully, a local couple enjoying a walk in the city listened with their eyes and hearts and noticed us as we stood on a street corner and studied our map.  They listened with their ears as they asked us if we needed help finding our hotel.  With the assistance of the navigation system on their phone, they guided us to our hotel.  During the 20 minute walk, they shared information about the city and about their lives.  The husband pointed out the church where his wife was baptized as a child.  We later visited St. Anne’s Church and thanked God for this couple who listened and joyfully provided help.

Later during our trip, we found ourselves in a London train station, carrying those same heavy pieces of luggage down a flight of stairs.  I focused on our smaller carry-on while my husband carried our large suitcase.  As he reached the landing at the foot of the stairs, he left our suitcase there, turned back to the stairs, and shouted, “Excuse me, miss?  Do you need help?”  I turned to see a woman struggling to get up the stairs with a suitcase as large as ours.  She gratefully accepted my husband’s help.  In the midst of the noise and the bustle of the station, my husband listened with his eyes and offered aid to someone in need. For me, becoming a diligent listener leads to opportunities to pray, witness, and serve.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide each of us as we listen and that we will use the insights we gain for God’s glory.