For some time, my wife has been after me to have my hearing evaluated. She is convinced that my hearing has suffered, and I may need something to help me hear better. We don’t agree on this issue. Therefore, I have been reluctant, some might call it stubborn, to go down this path of having my hearing evaluated. I have two major reasons for not wanting to get evaluated.

One reason is that I fear she is correct and I don’t want to admit to this phenomenon.

The other reason is that I fear she is wrong and my hearing is just fine. Then how do I explain what I didn’t hear?

Does that sound confusing? Let me attempt to explain. I have a friend who was having a similar dispute with his wife. (Do all married couples have this discussion after a certain age?) He finally gave in and went to have his hearing evaluated. He went through the testing and waited for the results and evaluation. He was sure that his hearing was fine. He was correct!

The audiologist told him that according to all the testing that there was nothing wrong with his hearing. At this point my friend gave his wife one of those “I told you so” looks. (I don’t advise using this look very often, but he went for it anyway.) Then the expert said, “There is nothing wrong with your hearing, however you do need to work on your listening.” At that point this conversation took place in my friend’s head; “What? Ouch! Can I take that look back? Is there anyway that my wife didn’t hear that?”

Do you understand my reasons better now?

If my wife is correct I will have to not only admit I was wrong, but I will have to make some major changes. If, however, my hearing is okay then I will likely be confronted with the truth that I am just not listening very well. I am struggling to know which scenario is worse.

As I was wrestling with this today I had a growing sense that God was attempting to have the same conversation with me about my spiritual hearing.

My fears in this regard are a bit different than my fears with my wife and my declining hearing ability.

Experience has taught me that the wrong party in this is not likely to be the Lord. My struggle about my spiritual hearing is that I have been hearing a lot of things from the Lord much clearer recently. That is a good thing. Those things are rocking my world as I begin to formulate what they mean for my life. If what I am hearing, with some definite hearing issues, is rocking my world this much then what will happen if I really adjust and listen more closely to the Lord? Can anyone out there relate to this?

I want to hear, and listen, better. I want to know what the Lord wants from me and for me. I want to hear every syllable he sends my way. With a trembling voice in my spirit I am saying. Could you speak a little slower Lord? I don’t want to miss any of what you are saying and how you are directing me. I am seeking to listen better.

How about you? What are you hearing? Are you listening?

In the meantime, I better go I think my wife was asking me something.

Dennis