My dad has always been more of a listener than a talker.  He doesn’t want any extra attention.  He never speaks just for the sake of being heard.   He considers things thoughtfully.  When he does speak, or when he takes time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), he tends to have insightful questions or points to consider. 

As such, when he speaks, I tend to listen. 

I’ve watched my dad listen to my children, even as babies, long before they had any coherent patterns of speech.  I learned from the way he would study them and speak to them,  with rapt attention, as if they were spilling the secrets of the universe to him.

Whether he understood them or not, he always gave them the opportunity.   In the years since, as my children have grown, I’ve noticed that my dad continues to listen attentively to his grandchildren.  He takes them seriously and values their contributions, regardless of their age. 

For years I saw my dad eating breakfast early in the morning with his scriptures propped up in front of him while he ate, making himself available to listen to the Spirit prior to being immersed in the demands of the day. 

Similarly, I watched him dedicate the Sabbath day as a respite from the labors of the week.  Many times I saw him retire to bed early on a Sunday night so he could get up in the dark hours before dawn to put time in to the pressing work of providing for a family without infringing on the solace of that day He reserved for the Lord. 

I’ve learned from the way he carved out time and space, in the quiet hours of the most hectic days, to be still and listen for what the Lord might want him to hear, or know, or do.

Having a mortal father who  is a good listener makes it easy for me to believe in a Heavenly Father who listens to me when I pray.  It gives me the impression that Father in Heaven is attentively watching and tuning in to me even when I don’t speak or am incoherent.   And it reminds me that I need to make time to be still and ponder and listen for what God has to say to me, because when He does speak, it’s probably worth hearing. 

#GiveThanks