I was listening…

Have you noticed how important it is to feel listened to? Often we can have a chat with a friend and we’ll both remember the gist of the conversation, but there will be some bits we won’t remember, that haven’t lodged themselves in our brains. And sometimes we can be thinking up a reply to one comment and miss the next one because our focus is elsewhere.

But then there are the times when you are talking to someone and although they do make comments and ask questions, they do so after you have finished speaking. And then they’ll say something that shows they have listened and taken in everything you’ve said.

This isn’t so crucial in a friendly chat with someone, but is so important when you are sharing something or asking for help. I had a conversation like that today and at the end they basically summed it all up, referencing things I’d said in passing. I told them they had a good memory to bring up all the things I’d said. They’re response? Well, I was listening.

It struck me how rare it is to leave a conversation and feel truly listened to. Not someone comparing stories, not someone thinking up solutions, not someone projecting their own life/ambitions/problems, just someone listening to me in the moment, no distractions.

The thing is, because so often conversations can be frustrating because of wandering minds or others’ agendas, I can sometimes choose not to talk. Sometimes it’s easier to just keep quiet than try and be serious and be let down because you’re not being listened to.

Why do I mention that here? Because, as with so many other aspects of life, what we can experience with other people we can project onto God. If people won’t simply listen and give you their full attention in the moment without making suggestions of jumping to conclusion, then when we talk to God, won’t the same happen?

But throughout the Old Testament, there are passages where it says, “I have heard your cry, says the Lord”. Whether the people crying out or praying have followed the laws or gone astray, whether they pray daily or just when they are in need, God hears their prayers and responds. And when Jesus comes to show the way to the Father, he teaches to pray about everything. He teaches that the Father is listening.

So when you talk to God, talk as if he is listening intently, as if you have his full attention. Because he is and you do. You are heard. No problem is too small or too big. He won’t get distracted thinking of questions or solutions. He will patiently listen, and once you have finished he will respond. You can talk to God. He is listening.