Make the Time to Hear

Snow crunches beneath my feet with each step I take. Freshly falling snow quickly covers my footsteps. The only sound is the trees rustling in the wind and the crunching snow under my feet.

The world around me has been turned white. Everything looks so beautiful and clean.

I love going for a walk in the snow. It gives me time to think and reflect on things. It seems like God speaks to me most often when I'm out in nature and away from all that would distract.

The other day was no different. I was walking in the snow in a park near my house. I was almost ready to head home when I heard God begin to speak.

"It's been a while." Something stirred in my mind.

I stopped. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping to hear. I had some specific things I wanted God to answer and this was not an answer to any of them.

"It's been a while since you stopped and took the time to really listen to Me."

This time I listened. I quickly realized that I had spent a lot of time recently asking God for things. But it had been a while since I'd sat long enough to hear God speak or taken the time when reading my Bible to really pay attention to what God might be saying though it. I had allowed the busy-ness of the season to crowd out that time.

I've known for a long time that to have a relationship with God it requires more than me just doing all the talking and then just getting on with life. A relationship requires two way communication. I need to listen too. I'm just not always good at listening.

But that evening on my walk, I was reminded that I need to make listening for God a regular part of my life no matter the season. Listening doesn't mean I have to just sit there for hours. But I need to stop talking long enough to hear God speak. And sometimes that may mean sitting. Other time that means paying attention to things around me to be able to hear what God may be saying through them.

"Lord, help me to make listening to You a priority. Keep my eyes and ears open to what You are saying."

With that, I headed for home.

How do you do at listening to God speak in your own life?

Has it been a while since you took the time to listen? In prayer? Through taking the time to slow down when you read your Bible to actually hear from God?