Listening like Samuel In the rush of our everyday lives, our relationship with God is often neglected. God promises that if we come near to Him, He will come near to us (James 4:8) How do we come near to God? If I really wanted to grow closer to God I would _________________ If I really wanted to Hear God I would ___________________ If I really wanted to Do the Will of God I would____________ We could almost use the words “listen for Him” at the end of each of these sentences. Our scripture comes from 1 Samuel 4: “That the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I.” And, the 10th verse: “And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered: Speak; for thy servant heareth.” How do we listen? (From the book Cup of Our Life: Joyce Rupp) Listening requires that we become more comfortable with “be-ing”. Be-ing helps us to develop awareness, to focus more keenly on our inner activity without needing to “do” anything except to be attentive. Bruteau writes: “Listening is a non-productive, contemplative activity, a kind of striving not to strive, for self-striving would make noise and prevent us from hearing …” When we give ourselves to attentiveness and deep listening, we may discover God everywhere. We “hear” connections deeply within our be-ings revealed through music, in correspondence received, telephone calls, people we meet, in what we read and touch and taste, and in the insights and emotions that arise within us. If we want to hear God and do the Will of God, we must take a lesson from Samuel: First, Seek God’s presence. Samuel was in the temple, he was about doing the things of God, he was quiet and still. Each of us seeks God’s presence in varying ways: prayer, reading daily devotions, relaxation outside, walking. Sort out all the voices. The world and people are constantly telling us to do things. Listening is difficult because the external world is full of noise (traffic, television, machines). Our minds are cluttered with many thoughts and feelings from stressful events and we may easily miss hearing what it is that God wants us to hear. Submit to God. Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth. Samuel said two things: He said “I’m your servant.” And he said “I’m listening”. God called Samuel by name, the Shepherd calls his own sheep by name (John 10:3) Are we listening? Do we hear him?

A listening heart: Jesus finished His message with words that teach us to listen as his Father does when he admonished: “This I command you; love one another” (John 15:17) (From The Nurses’s Calling, Mary Elizabeth O’Brien) In order to heal from the heart, we need to listen with the heart. The lead article in the January 1998 issue of the American Journal of Nursing, entitled “Recognizing and Responding to Spiritual Distress,” speaks of the importance of listening both in terms of assessment of patients’ spiritual/religious orientation and with our nursing interventions. Listening involves hearing and understanding not only all of what people are saying but also what they are afraid to say. To listen with your heart is to love another person. Sister Fran Ferder says that true listening with the heart is a “conscious choice.” “It means embarking on a journey past the ears to the heart, beyond hearing to understanding.” Reflection: (From the book Cup of Our Life: Joyce Rupp) The cup as a symbol of our inner journey: Sit quietly. Hold your cup in your open hands. See how the cup sits there quietly. Picture yourself in the Divine One’s hands. Go to the stillness deep within yourself. Allow yourself to be attentive. Just “be” with God. Listen.   Breath prayer: Breathing in… I listen… Breathing out… You are here.

Prayer: Speak to us, for your servants heareth.   Dear God, teach us to remove the noise and distractions that keep us from being near to you. Teach us to listen and to discover your presence in people and in the situations of our daily lives. Open our minds and hearts to hear your call. Give us the passion to accept your call and to do your will. Reveal your love in our service and care for others.

God listens to us. No matter how fragmented and abbreviated our prayers may be, God hears them; not only in quiet times but in the frantic active hours. (Jeremiah 29:12)