When Deaf Ears Listen Best – And 5 Minutes with God.

My daughter is deaf.  She came to us at three months old. Unable to hear in her right ear. Intermittent loss in her left ear also.

Unilateral hearing loss primarily effects her ability to detect and locate sound.

It hinders her from hearing other’s speak…..especially when there is any type of background noise.

Due to this deficit, my daughter often talks really loud.  Especially when others are around.  She tries to pick up sound and then speak at a volume that is so much higher than those around….so others can hear her.

She is five.  And to a five year old it is so important to be heard.

And how when we cannot hear….we often talk so much louder than we need to.


And who of us, really, doesn’t want to be heard?  

So, we try to keep the volume around our house low, so she can hear instruction, direction, or just plain encouragement that otherwise she would be missing.

And I have been thinking……who of us are different from her…..really?  Struggling?  Needing to hear the voice of Our Father 100%?

My daughter is physically deaf….but how many of us have spiritual ears that have been deafened to The Father’s voice, by the “noise” around us?

And amongst the noise….aren’t we like her also. Talking louder to get the attention of The Father….amidst the bustle of kids and chores.

As if because we can’t hear Him….possibly He can’t hear me.

But, I wonder. Like any parent.  Doesn’t God want our undivided attention?  Our time? Our silent, set apart moments where we are doing nothing…..but waiting…..to hear?

Wouldn’t He want us to stop what we are doing?  Look at Him? And listen? Without any agenda’s?

So, lately, I have playing a little game with myself. I choose to quiet myself….and all that’s around me….for simply 5 minutes every day.

No worship music. No reading. No looking for interpretations in Greek or Hebrew. No family. Or friends. Or texting. Or pursuing God fervently.

Just silence.  Stillness.  And Listening. 

And how much harder it was, at first, than it seems.

And why is it as women, like Newtons Law of Motion…. we keep going and giving?  And even in Bible Studies and learning….we focus on others.  Getting to be giving….in ministry, or families, and everywhere else we can be a witness?

But, perhaps he prefers the child? Listening.  Us crawling on His lap amidst dishes and dinner and soccer…..and ministry….

So that we can have communion.  Just Him alone…..and us.  Time apart.  To simply rest in His presence.

And it is here in this chaos, I hear the Father whispering….“Come away with me”.  As I look at my clock.  Stopping my day to anticipate five minutes with God.

Five minutes, I tell myself.  To sit.  Silent.  Do nothing, but listen.

And it never fails……He speaks to my spirit.  Provides His comfort.  His peace & all consuming presence.

Not a greedy God.  Always rewarding faithfulness.  As we’re Mary….. amongst Martha spirits.

And often, I get caught up in His presence.  And sit for so much longer than anticipated.  Because my empty well is thirsty….for more than vapors that I often minister with….and from.

And I know that I can come….not like my daughter who begs for attention and shouts her petitions….but to a God that has ears for only me.  And has ears for only you.

…Not needing me to talk incestuously.  Make requests.  Beg and beckon. Or even at times, demand or insisting…..But, simply listening.

Like a student to her Teacher. Life supplier. Portion. Caregiver. Filling us up in the depths of our Spirits.

And my daughter, though struggling to hear……has always been able to listen so much clearer than I.

Randomly peering into the Fathers heart…..and praying things that could only be straight from God on High, to her Spiritual Ears.

And oh, how I want to listen like her. Deaf to the world.  But able to hear…..

All day. Every day.  The voice of my Father, who is always speaking.

Searching the world over….for those who will do more than work, and do, and try so hard at giving……

But will stop. Wait.  And open themselves up to His spirit….

And listen.