It was a Wednesday afternoon, and as I sat close to nearly-deaf ninety-six-year-old Sister Mollie, I literally screamed in her ear! But all she was able to pick up were small bits and pieces of my one-sided conversation. She nodded her head occasionally as if in agreement to what I was saying. I sensed that her mind was keen, but that her physical hearing was seriously impaired. As I continued my visit, I thanked God again and again for the ability to hear. It was quite apparent that Mollie’s “outward man” was perishing, but I also knew that her “inward man’s was being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16), because of the fruit of her dedicated life.
And I thought — how precious is the gift of hearing! Thus, I reflected on what life would be like without hearing the sounds of ….
- children at play.
- penitent sobs as a sinner comes home.
- a hissing teakettle.
- pages of a worn Bible being turned as a Mother reads the Scriptures.
- a crackling fire on a cold winter’s evening.
- splashing water as your feet are being washed during a love feast service.
- a Monday-morning wash flopping in the wind.
- a dedicated saint agonizing in prayer.
- a family gathered around the piano for an old-fashioned hymn-sing.
- the minister as he faithfully expounds the Word during a worship service.
- soft gentle raindrops against a windowpane.
- a rippling stream at an outdoor baptismal service.
Without being able to hear these all-too-often-taken for-granted sounds, life would somewhat resemble a piece of broken pottery. But God has given us ears to hear. And what is far more important than hearing the everyday sounds about us, is to be listening for the voice of God. Jesus said, ”He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” Ezekiel phrased it somewhat differently: “Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear.” Let us not only appreciate our physical hearing, but let us be thankful for our spiritual audibility. Hear! And keep on hearing!