He positioned his wheelchair in front of all the other residents seated in the community room of the assisted living facility that late June morning. As my friends and I sang patriotic songs, hymns, and other uplifting pieces, I noticed this gentleman watching us intently. After a few songs, he turned his wheelchair sideways so that he was no longer facing us but the window. He was listening to our music without watching us, gazing out the window. When we had finished the set, he turned back and looked at us warmly with deep gratitude reflected in his eyes. It seemed that we had allowed him to transport himself to another time and place, and maybe to forget his wheelchair for a little while.
What struck me was how he turned his wheelchair so that he wasn’t facing us. He took a deliberate step to focus his attention on the music and not be distracted by watching us sing.
So often when we’re listening to someone, we let ourselves get distracted. In our conversations, we may have our minds on our own happenings. In church, we may let our mind wander to our plans for the day instead of concentrating on the message being presented to us. In our personal prayer time, it’s easy to get distracted by our phone or thoughts of our work that still needs to be done.
If we listen to others with sincere interest, we’ll show that what they have to say is important to us. Similarly, if we take a moment to remove the distractions in our prayer time, we’ll be more receptive to what our Lord may be trying to tell us. We never know who or what He’ll use to reach us. We’ll hear Him only if we pay attention.
Remove distractions, and pay attention.
Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that come to you as you read His word, or admire His creation, or celebrate with people you love.
Pay attention to your gut feelings that prompt you to speak or act – or, when you get the feeling to be silent or not act.
Go to a place where distractions are minimal. The ‘inner room’ (Matthew 6:6) can be an actual place or simply an interior frame of mind.
The gentleman in the wheelchair was clearly moved by our music. May we, also, be moved by what we see, hear, and read. May it change us into more loving, compassionate, and generous people. May we not rush through our day, but take deliberate steps to listen to what our Lord has to say to us and then act on what we hear.
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Luke 11:28
“Speak to me, Lord, and mold my heart. I’m listening.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell Comments are always welcome!
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P.S.
We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/...
Also, if you’re able to help the people of Maui, here are a few organizations that are accepting donations:
The Hawaii Community Foundation
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