Good Listening

So yet again I received a comment on being a good listener today. First of all, I'm not half as good as I'd like to be. Second of all, I'm sure it stems from so many people being bad listeners, so my motivation could be all twisted. So when I receive related comments about not talking very much, it makes me think of how many times people only listen to what you're saying, waiting for something or some way they can interject. So I suppose waiting is all wrong in that last statement. They don't wait at all. They interrupt as fast as they can with their own story or opinion. But I guess you're lucky if you can find people who will do that. Lots of other people will not let you get any comments in and will hog all attention for as long as there's opportunity. Still more people will make you feel the worst by glazing their eyes when you get into your second sentence letting you know they couldn't care less about what you have to say, and depending on how loud they're feeling, they will either walk away and leave you to cry, or pretend you don't exist and start talking over top of you.

All this to say, that if I'm a good listener occasionally, and I will let you talk on and on and listen to all you have to say, what will God do? He'll probably do something similar if he's not angry with you, which is why I don't hear him as much as I could; it's hard for me to shut up while praying. As for that angry thing, well I just read the first half of Ezekiel out loud today (no I'm not super Bible boy, Jason asked me to in support of a group of international intercessory people who are reading the Bible in a week as a group - then on Wednesday they're reading it in an hour), and sometimes when people come to consult the prophet to inquire of God, God asks intimidating questions. Questions like, "will I answer to them when they have brought idols into their hearts?" Then he has a couple of answers to his own questions. Sometimes he says no I will not. Other times he says yes I've got something to say - Repent!