The seminar was on schedule. This is not completely unusual however it was the first day and the forty or so in the audience came into the learning-audience participation-case study based workshop cold. Their eyes expressed their engagement and interest while their questions reflected an ongoing search for more answers than they had. Everything seemed according to plan.
Midway through the questions I realized that that one lady was asking a follow-up. This wasn’t completely new however I could not remember anything resembling a first question. I searched my memory banks as I evasively answered and redirected the question back. The follow-ups continued as did my puzzlement. Was I somewhere else and just dreaming? For all my listening skills, how could I miss something so clear? Did someone actually ask a question or make a statement?
At the end of the session the lady approached me. She started at the beginning (with grateful unspoken appreciation on my part) and I knew I had never heard her words before this moment.
Those younger, or having a different view than my own, are often perceived as “not listening”. Given my own experience of yesterday I am not so sure that this is always true. However the fundamental question remains. How interested are you and I in true dialogue? This is not the type of exchange where I talk you listen, you talk I prepare to counter. There is little listening on my part in this process.
Listening comes when I hear with the intent of learning. Dialogue occurs when I sit in another’s presence desiring to hear and learn.
“Listen carefully to my wisdom; take to heart what I can teach you.” (Proverbs 22.17)
God stands ready, offering you and me the opportunity to travel with him, learning along the way, growing in relationship, and dialoguing about life. Too often I find myself playing a caricature of a child – all talk and no ears. God is patient beyond belief – he gently waits for each, ready to accept us unconditionally, and ready to dialogue. Question; am I truly listening?
