How You Listen
"Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” — Luke 8:18 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, I've been considering how I listen. Recently, I got hearing aids. I've had hearing loss for many years and have managed to live with it by preferring quiet environments where I can hear better, by learning to read lips, and by filling in gaps in a conversation with context. But this last year, I've been missing more and more of those conversations, I've felt withdrawn and isolated in noisy environments, and I've been weary of the mental strain from leaning in to hear and understand others. So, now I wear hearing aids. What I've noticed most is that I don't have to strain to listen. I can listen easily, effortlessly. Spiritual growth follows momentum. The more I listen to you, the more I grow. The habits and spiritual health I cultivate by lis...