A blind physician colleague once said to me, "I would rather be blind than deaf." I was taken aback . . . could that be? He explained further by saying that even though he is blind, he can hear all the activity around him. He helped me understand those who lack the ability to detect sound often become isolated from their surroundings – a significant problem physically, emotionally and socially.
Deafness, just as blindness, possesses a spiritual dimension. I have increasingly become aware of my spiritual hearing impairment. Not hearing God has profound negative implications – many of which I live out daily. The prophet Jeremiah speaking to the children of Israel spoke to this issue.
But this one thing I did command them: Listen to and obey my voice. . . (Jeremiah 7:23 Amplified Bible)
Listening requires the act of paying attention. So what do I allow to grab my attention – the clamor of my selfish heart, the urgency of the day, the voices of the world around me? Unfortunately I allow them to drown out the quiet voice of God. I must not allow the noise of the world to drown out the voice of God.
This all seems to whittle down to an issue of the heart. Surgery may be necessary but I need to call upon the Spirit to aid my hearing and focus my heart on the most powerful voice in the universe, the quiet voice of God.
Sharing the journey with you,
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