SCOTTY SMITH is one of the many Presbyterians I admire from my time in their seminary. You’ll like his honesty here —
“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Mark 9:7); “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27); “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matt. 11:15)
Dear Jesus, this day was needed long before it made it onto my schedule. To my wife’s joy, my friends’ benefit, and my own freedom, I’ll be fitted for hearing aids today. I’d rather call them something cooler—like “acoustic enhancers,” “sonic supplements,” or “ear-candy.” The fact is, I have lost hearing and gained tinnitus.
It’s a good thing to start, live, and end every day with humility. I want to hear better, Jesus. I’m done with guessing what people say. I’m over nodding with a smile, though I may have only caught 65% of an interaction. The days of being too embarrassed to say, “Excuse me, would you say that again? I don’t hear as well as I used to”—those days are coming to an end.
But Jesus, I don’t just need hearing aids, I need listening aid. Grant me (and my friends) grace to both hear and listen to you. It’s possible to have perfect hearing yet remain deaf, indifferent, or resistant to your voice and heart—a most deadly situation, indeed.
Jesus, may we hear and heed your voice above every other voice—the voice of our shame, the lies of our culture, the condemnation of the devil, the wooing of seducers, the paralyzing whispers of our fears. You always tell us you love us—that don’t just “have our backs,” but our everything, and everything in history and the cosmos. Thank you, Lord. So Very Amen. |
joescheets 