The prompt for Five Minute Friday this week is the word listen. It reminded me of an old song by Ken Medema called “Listen” which is on the album “Fork in the Road.” Here are some of the words:
Listen to the sound of the falling rain
Listen to it tapping on the windowpane
Listen to the engine on a big jet plane
Listen to roar of a subway train
The other verses go on listing all the different things that we might listen to each day. After the verses, this is the chorus that is repeated:
Hey Mama, Mama, do you hear your children crying,
Or do you have too many things to listen to?
Hey Daddy, Daddy, do you hear your children crying,
Or do you have too many things to hear?
Then it goes on to ask the same questions of the children. It’s a powerful song. I tried to find a recording on the internet to share with you, but it was nowhere to be found. His website does have the album to purchase as a download.
LISTENING TO EVERYDAY SOUNDS
Every day there are things to listen to, but I wonder how much we actually hear. I decided to sit still for a few minutes this afternoon, close my eyes and listen. It was pretty quiet here because everyone was napping except me. This is all I heard:
Steady droning of rain
Tick tocking of the clock
A car going down the road
Faint sound of my laptop
An unknown high pitched sound
A cat meowing
The list is not very long. I wonder if I missed some things. I think I’d like to take time every day to stop for a few minutes to see what I will hear.
Listening is an important skill, but I believe we sometimes don’t listen well. In fact, we may try so hard to convince someone of our position that we don’t try to understand theirs. When we differ with someone we need to make it a point to really hear each other. We may not come to an agreement, but we will certainly understand each other better.
This song by Michael Card called “Will You Not Listen?” is a reminder that God has spoken life and hope to us and we need to listen.
I’m linking up with: #FiveMinuteFriday, #Glimpses, #GiveMeGrace, #MomentsofHope, #IntentionalTuesday, #TestimonyTuesday, #TellHisStory
Hi Gayl! I really identified with the idea that there is so much noise, it’s easy to have the important things drowned out. What am I listening to, and how is it affecting me?
These are really good questions that your inspired in me through your post. Listening is a skill, and one that needs constant attention and discernment, don’t you think? i’m going to see what I listen to today…and what I should be attending to.
Blessings!
Ceil
I agree that listening does need constant attention and discernment. It’s something I know I need to keep working on.
Thanks so much for visiting and for your encouragement, Ceil. Have a great week! Many blessings to you!
Hi, Gayl! Thanks for sharing your post. I really liked your list of the things you hear. I’m often alone in my apartment and also hear an unidentified high pitched sound. 😛 It made me chuckle.
Sending light and joy your way!
-Girl of Green Gables
Glad to give you a chuckle today, “Girl of Green Gables.” I love your blog name! 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by and for light and joy!
Many blessings to you and have a great week!
I’m guilty of not listening like I should. I also wrote the FMF post on listening and the Lord has reminded me more than a few times since I published it that I need to be listening to Him. And others. Thanks for your post. Have a blessed day!
I think probably we all need to continue to practice listening more – to God and to others. Thanks for visiting and for your encouragement.
Blessings to you, Robin!
Gayl, loved spending the afternoon with you and the girls Saturday. It was really nice! Unfortunately my listening skills have been negatively affected by a bad case of Tinnitus – I can no longer hear the drizzle of the rain or the steady flow of the creek near our home. Sounds I used to cherish have been replaced by motors running in my ears. So…listening and hearing are becoming gifts of grace for me!
Susan, I had a wonderful time Sat. afternoon with all you precious ladies. I’m sorry to hear about your tinnitus. That’s hard. My husband was really bothered with it for awhile, but it’s not as bad now.
Many blessings to you, dear sister! xo
The word listen is so important. As we go through our day there is so much to distract us from what is truly important. Taking time to be intentional and filter out the excess will help us to stay focused on God. His is the voice we need to listen to always. Great post! Have a blessed week!
Mary, thank you for your encouragement to stay focused on God. You are right about so much to distract us. Sometimes I just feel overwhelmed by everything, but that’s when I know it’s time to stop for awhile and spend time with God. I don’t always follow through, but I want to do better with that.
Many blessings to you!
One of my dear friends lost her sight when she was in her 40s. Her daughter was only 12 at the time. It happened in an instant. One minute she was looking at Christmas lights and the next minute, darkness. A hemorrhage behind the eye the culprit.
Since losing her sight, I always say, there is nothing you can’t do except drive! She has noticed that without being able to see, her other senses have become much more sharp, especially her hearing. As I reflect upon it, her ears are now taking over for her sight. I wonder if she were to sit in the same room as you and I would she hear so much more because of it.
There is certainly a lesson there, all the distractions around us visually, and in our minds eye, can prevent us from truly listening.
Thanks for this extremely insightful post!
Karen, I have heard that when people lose their sight the other senses become heightened. I guess that is certainly true for your friend. I’m sorry, though, that she lost her sight. That must be so hard.
I’m sure if we were in the same room she would hear more than we would. When I was in elementary school, we had a blind woman come to our class. When you dropped a coin on the floor she could tell whether it was a nickel or dime or quarter, just by the sound.
Thank you for your encouraging comments. Many blessings to you, Karen!
I agree, Gayl – we don’t listen very well. Too much noise and too much on our minds I think. I was doing yoga this morning and when the instructor told us to focus inward and not get distracted by outside thoughts, my mind began drifting to my grocery list, and what I wanted to put in my smoothie, and whether it was my turn for carpool. Stillness, listening, quite focus – a skill indeed! So glad to be your neighbor at #tellhisstory today.
Isn’t it interesting when we are told to not let things distract us that’s the first thing we do. It seems all kinds of thoughts clamor for our attention.
Yes, it is definitely a skill worth working on. Thanks for visiting, Tiffany. Many blessings to you!
Oh yes, Gayl I absolutely love this and agree! I am not the best when it comes to those most important (my kids) which is a confession and I am praying God helps me. I love them but do I really show them by giving them my undivided attention? It is hard when my mind is running. I was great at listening and being still…before much of the blogging things seemed to be so important. But I don’t want to get lost in that. I want to show the kids I listen and care. So thank you for this today friend. It is an area I need to grow it.
Thank you so much, Meghan! Your comment here – “I was great at listening and being still…before much of the blogging things seemed to be so important” – really spoke to me. I’m still learning to balance the blogging time with being present in my home with the ones who live here right now.
Listening is a skill that I need to practice every day. Thanks for stopping by. Many blessings to you!
That actually is a good idea to set a time every day to just listen. I can only imagine all the thoughts that would be pouring in. Lol busy minds. It would seem overtime after listening for awhile, you would train your mind to be still. It would be interesting. I hope you had a good weekend.
I have good intentions, Kristina, but I’m not so good at carrying them out all the time. I’m going to make sure I take some time tomorrow to be quiet and listen. 🙂
Thanks so much for visiting and for your comments. I had a nice weekend and I hope you did, too.
Many blessings to you!
Encouraging post, my friend. There are a lot of scriptures in Proverbs about listening well. It’s a virtue 🙂
PS Love Michael Card!
Thanks so much for your encouragement, June! Many blessings to you!
There is so much beauty all around, isn’t there? We forget that our sight is not the only way to take in that beauty! Thanks for sharing hope with us, my friend!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Yes, there really is beauty all around if we just open our eyes to really see! Thanks so much for visiting, Lori.
Many blessings to you!