“God has listened; he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. Blessed be God! He has not turned away my prayer or turned his faithful love from me.” – Psalm 66:19-20
With five kids around the table, you can imagine how chaotic things can get at my house during dinner. Everybody has stories to tell about their day, and no one wants to wait until the other is done speaking. This is often hardest on my youngest daughter because her voice is the most easily drowned out. She often begins talking, only to have an older sibling jump in over the top of her. When this happens, I will often continue to look straight at her and smile. When I do that, she knows that her father is still listening to her, even in the midst of the chaos. I hear her. However, there are times when she forgets to look over at me. She thinks, just because she is the littlest, no one cares what she has to say and no one is listening. But all she needs to do is look at her dad to realize I’m still ready to listen. Our heavenly Father works very much like that. He is listening in the chaos, if we would only take a moment to stop and look at him.
I have had many people ask me if my sabbatical time has been restful. Unfortunately, the answer is “no.” I have enjoyed time with my family, I have gotten some things accomplished, and I have been freed from the weekly pressures of ministry. But I have not rested. The main reason for this is that I am dealing with some big issues in my life. I am wrestling with direction in ministry and health problems. I have desperately needed a sabbatical in order to deal with these things, but the time has not been “restful.” However, the last couple days have been the exception to that statement. For our 25th anniversary, Stephanie and I went to our friends’ cabin for a brief overnight stay. We took naps, read books, and talked. We decided for this year’s anniversary, we just needed to be still. I spent a great amount of time sitting on the porch, listening to the birds sing, thinking, and talking with God. That little bit of stillness gave me great clarity on some of the issues I had been wrestling with. God is always there and always ready to listen. The question is, am I looking for him? Am I taking time to be still? Am I taking time to talk to the loving Heavenly Father that is always ready to listen?
Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your ever-listening ear. Thank You that You are always attentive to my prayer. Give me the desire and the wisdom to simply be still. Help me to always remember that You listen because You love. Let me be eager to spend time with You.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon