He Waits For Our Ear, Are We Listening?

He Waits For Our Ear, Are We Listening?

Eileen Renders

We live in a world today where both parents must work to afford a home, food on the table, Health Insurance, a car to get to work, and more! As Catholics, we have been taught to pray, visit the sacraments, and meditate with only God as our focus, but many fall short, and God suffers as He is often at the bottom of our list.

Some of us, however, are retired, have no job to get to first thing in the morning, children are off on their own and married, and we have no car payments. We visit the sacraments, pray the rosary, and are involved with ministries within our church parish. While many of our Church “regulars” appear to be seniors, today we are seeing more spouses at Mass with their children, and we realize it takes effect, and appreciate their effort.

How do we find the time to give God our ear, to listen to Him, and to hear Him? Personally, I find that when the day is over, cooking, shopping, and other household chores are over for the day, and I look forward to relaxing and preparing for another day, I reflect on my priorities, unfinished chores of priority, and sometimes, I simply cannot drift off to sleep right away.

This is when I ask myself those important questions regarding financial responsibilities: “Will I have enough in the budget for Home insurance, repairs for the older car, are the symptoms I am having off and on serious?

I look at my painting of Jesus hanging on the wall with the moon shining just enough light on Him that I can see His image. I am then reminded to thank him for our health, roof over our heads, and food in the refrigerator. I reflect on how He suffered and died for our sins because of His love for us, and His desire to lead us to Him.

I am humbled, and ask Him to help me maintain a humble heart. I beg Him to lead me, teach me, and correct me because when life is over here on earth, I want to be with Him forever in Heaven. I confess that I am truly sorry for any sins I may have committed, and submit my life to Him. I surrender!

Still awake, I then quiet all my thought processing, relax, and ask Him a question. I listen in the quiet darkness of my bedroom.

Sometimes, I receive a response from Him. It is never audible. Listen intently, as His word comes in a thought, a solution that moves quickly through our mind. Much quicker than we can create a thought. We will know it was God, and not our created thought, for a few reasons: ( a.) We were not pondering on the subject matter of the thought that is occurring rapidly in our brains. (b.) We ourselves had not been so confident and had not previously considered a sound choice or solution before focusing on Christ. (c.) The

Words that came to us while listening and focusing on God are more intelligent than any choice or decision we had previously contemplated before we worked to quiet our minds and give our ear to God.”