Listening Ears

Sara loves her Wednesday night Rainbows class at church. She came into my class yelling about her "listening ears" that she was wearing. Sara said, "When I wear these, I can listen to what you say." She wore them the next day while she decorated her new Dora mailbox that she got for her birthday.

So, I'm thinking that I need my own set of listening ears. One of the biggest complaints that my husband has of me is that I don't listen to him. He is right. I hear what he says, but I don't always listen.

True listening involves taking the time to process what someone is saying, thinking about not only the words they are uttering but the way they are saying them. If you are busy thinking of what to say back to someone, you can't possibly be listening.

"But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger," (James 1:19, NASB).

"Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they're bursting with health," (Proverbs 4:20, MSG).