Barely Listening

This morning I was alerted to a song I had downloaded from iTunes about a year ago. The band is Pilot Speed and the song is "Barely Listening." As I listened to the song this morning, I asked myself some questions. Who do I feel barely listens to me? Who do I want to hear me? Who doesn't seem to get me?

These can be haunting questions. I think about my friend David who is struggling with Cancer and has been stuck in the hospital for 30 days straight this time. I think of a family member who is battling the disease and trying to raise her grandkids because her daughter is in prison. I think of friends that don't respond to phone calls or emails, and it seems like you could go forever without talking and they would be okay with that. I think of kids that don't listen to their parents and parents who don't listen to their kids. I think of Christ-followers who don't listen to their friends who believe differently than they do. I think of a lot of people, but ultimately it comes back to me. Who is "barely listening" to me?

The answer varies from day to day. There are times when my kids definitely don't seem to be listening. There are times right now where others don't seem to listen when I talk to them about The Springs - fundraising sux by the way. I have days when my wife is barely listening, if at all. There are even days when I feel like God is barely listening.

I have found over the years that who is listening to me is less important than who I am listening to, though. There are days when I don't listen to my kids, days when I don't listen to my neighbors or my friends, days when I don't listen to my wife and yes, days when I don't listen to God. Funny thing about listening that I struggle with really learning: When we listen it seems to open the ears of others. If you've tried to talk to me and I was "barely listening," I am sorry. I want to listen.

Jesus often used this phrase with his followers: Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear (Mark 4:9; 4:23; Luke 8:8; Luke 14:35). "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"