PAY ATTENTION!

Sometimes I have something very serious that I want to say to my husband, and I need to have one hundred percent of his attention.  Past history has proven to me that if he isn't paying close attention he will only hear part of what I am saying.  He hears what he wants to hear, or he just doesn't get all of it due to trying to do more than one thing at a time. 

Now, multi-tasking is a gift that most men don't have, but they have been deceived by demons and other men who have told them that they do.  I'm convinced this is a conspiracy to shut out the world of wives who are talking non-stop at them.  That is not me.  I am not one to inundate my world, nor my husband, with endless chatter.  So, when I have something important to say I want him to stop what he is doing and listen carefully.  If my husband does not shut off the TV, or if he doesn't stop what he is doing I can lay odds that later he will have everything that I said twisted and formed to shape what he thinks I said, not what I said. 

There have been many times in our marriage that I have wanted to relate important (at least to me it is) stuff, but I just can't get him to stop and totally focus on me.  I will, at this point, just stop and say, "Forget it."  He will respond somewhat feebly that he is listening, but it takes no effort at all for him to go back to what he was doing.  He's really not interested.  He actually couldn't care less.  He is doing what he wants to do, and I go away frustrated, sad, angry, and/or hurt.

I often hear Christians say, "Gee.  God really never talks to me.  I wonder why.  My friends say that He talks to them, so why wouldn't He talk to me?"  I think it's time to wake up and smell the coffee, dear one.  God isn't going to talk to you if you're not going to stop and listen.  As we have heard it said over and over, God is a gentleman.  He's not going to come into your house without calling first and receiving an invitation.  He knows where He's not wanted, and He will not intrude uninvited.

I must make certain that in such a busy world I must stop.  Stop everything.  Yes, it's possible for even the most busy person to stop.  Take five.  Sit alone with Him and listen.  Read a verse.  Then tomorrow take ten.  Read a chapter.  And we must always listen.  We must open the door and ask Him to come in and give Him all our hospitality.  I believe that if Jesus walks by and you are too busy vacuuming, too busy watching your shows on television, too busy with Facebook, or too busy with your work He is going to say, "Forget it.  Maybe I'll come back later."  Then again, maybe He won't.