Are You Listening?

Sometimes I really surprise myself. I think I have it all together, and then I realize I don't. I have an old cassette of Dino Kartsonakis that I love to hear. The only place I can play it is in the car. It's a great stress reliever to listen to his beautiful piano music blended with sounds of nature--the ocean or a rain storm. After a long day at work, I had some errands to run. As I drove, my mind whirred at top speed, processing all the obligations I tried to manage. I mentally cataloged my to-do lists for school, home, and church. Traffic demanded my attention. A long wait at a red light forced me to halt. Suddenly, under the current of all that had demanded my focus, I heard a sweet melody. Dino's music had been playing during my ride, but all those stressors had completely blocked it from my perception. At times like this, I am reminded that God is speaking words of love and wisdom to me. But so often I am not even listening. I block out His gentle call with a myriad of mindless matter. Perhaps a friend might say, "God does not talk to me." I must reply, "He is speaking. But are you listening?"