2 minute read
Stop and Listen
Gò0dNews for Everyone
Stop and Listen
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by Paula Burgner
As I sit with my legs crossed on what’s left of the green grass before it all withers away into crunchy straw-like strings as the cold days approach, I close my eyes and take a moment to stop and listen to my surroundings. I often think about how much we all miss every day and the sounds around us that we take for granted. Most of the time, we never stop to listen because we are too busy watching with our eyes instead of listening with our hearts.
As I sit here, I hear the birds chirping and the wind slowly rustling through the leaves that are still on the trees. In the distance, I can hear the sound of a passing car. The sounds that surround us can sometimes be calming, but other times, they may be hectic. We must be aware of our surroundings and choose them carefully. I think of how much one person can learn from just being still and taking a moment to actually listen to what is around them.
If we do not listen and only talk, we do not learn anything. This is why God gave us a mouth that closes and ears that don’t. This shows us that it is more important to listen than to speak sometimes. In the Bible, James 1:19 tells us, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
When we hear, we are listening to what is being said, but when we actually stop to listen, we can hear what is not being said. The Bible tells us in Matthew 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” If we stop long enough and just be quiet, we can listen to the wind as it talks. When we are listening to the silence, it will speak to us as well. Then, when we stop to listen to our heart, it knows. Therefore, when you have a gut feeling, you should listen to it. We don’t realize it until later in life when we are no longer young and carefree, but we have to stop and take time to enjoy the little things in life. I feel that when I take the time to stop, be still, and just listen, God speaks to me the most. His small voice will be heard, as it says in Ezekiel 43:2, “And his voice was like the sound of many waters.”
It is through times like this that we learn through being quiet and listening. We often gain the reward of wisdom, as the Bible says in Proverbs 2:2, “So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding.”
About The Author Paula Burgner is a very strong willed, outgoing, girl who loves working out, and she believes in her heart that you are capable of doing anything that you put your mind to.
