Tuesday 11th March

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
John 10;27

Hearing and listening.

We take the ability to hear completely for granted when we have it in fully working order.  We get annoyed at various noises.  We listen to the birds singing.  We hear the phone when it pings in our pocket.  We enjoy the whispered nonsenses of our children in our ears.

But its a gift.  A huge one.  And I have become aware of this recently as I have had dealings with several people who's hearing is not working properly.  Not being able to hear is a very difficult thing.  Partly because the person who is losing their hearing often doesn't know it.   For many older people its an incremental deterioration - like someone turning the volume down one notch at a time.  So the voices have to get a bit louder, the telly gets turned up,  people have to start repeating themselves to be understood.   More and more gets missed.   Until eventually the realisation dawns that hearing is going and that a hearing aid would be a good idea.

I think it can be like that with our spiritual hearing too.

Where once we were sharp and focused, now perhaps things are a bit less clear.  Where once we know we heard clearly now we wonder ' was that God or was it me?'   Where once we had the courage to believe and obey, now we wait to see who else will respond first.   Why?  Well maybe because we have let a layer of dust settle on us and obscure our ability to hear and listen.

I think that dust can take various forms.  Sometimes it is grief and sadness.  Sometimes it is stress and the weight of the world on our shoulders.  Perhaps it is sin sneaking up and wrapping itself around us    ( especially around our minds and therefore our ears)  Maybe it is the godless company we keep or the place in which we work.   Almost inevitably part of it will be all the other stuff we are listening to.   Dust is fine and almost invisible.  But we all know that it exists and that it loves to settle.

Sometimes people lose their hearing all at once through some accident or virus or trauma.
This must be terrifying and so very distressing.

I know people who have lost their spiritual hearing through trauma, disaster, attack.   They describe feeling as though God is suddenly absent. That at a time of real testing when they need Him the most everything is silent.  Its as though heaven has been switched off.  It is every bit as terrifying and distressing as the loss of physical hearing, but much less obvious to the external observer, family, spouse, friends , church.

So this Lent Im wondering how my hearing really is?  Is God having to shout to make Himself understood?  Am I slow to respond and mishearing instruction and correction?  Am I missing the encouragements and affirmation which is coming my way?   Perhaps Im not the best one to judge.  Maybe this Lent would be a good time to ask someone who knows me spiritually really well how they think I am doing.   And if they think that Ive become dull of hearing and that the dust has settled then I need to be prepared to hear that and do something about it.

Lord I thank you for the ability to hear - it is an amazing gift and I dont ever want to take it for granted.  I pray for those people I know who are struggling with hearing loss and ask that you would restore what has been taken and grant peace in the midst of frustration.   I ask that you would increase my ability to hear spiritually.  From your Word, through Your people, by Your spirit.  If the dust has settled please wash me clean.  Amen