(Original Post March 2010)
It's amazing how many sounds surround you on a daily basis. The amazing thing is that there is so much going on that we don't even notice. I recall the week I moved to Dallas, Texas from good ol' sunny California, and I heard everything that buzzed around me, including the cows down the street. Lol. (I'm not lying about the cow part) Wherever you find yourself today, may it be by the beach or on a mountain top. Take a moment and listen to the sounds around you.
I've found myself sitting still and listening to my surroundings and I have been amazed to find the smallest of things that at times goes unnoticed. While producing a song in my office I took a music break and muted my speakers so I could refresh a bit and I heard a small whistling sound right underneath my desk. Got down on the ground to find where the sound was coming from and to my surprise a cricket was on my speaker cable. I'm sure the vibrations kept him quiet. His whistling was probably a way of saying, "hey man turn that music back on!"
The one that is amazing at hunting down the source of the smallest things is my son, Jordan. We can be anywhere and he's scoping the room for items he can grab, of course he's 12 months old and more curious than a cat. He'll stop to listen and then takes off running towards the source. Whatever the item is it fascinates him because he is still soaking in all these sights and sounds of life.
Have you ever been placed, maybe at work or at school, right next to a real annoying person? How long does it take you to eventually filter the person out of what you are listening to? Can it be that with so much going on in our lives we've suddenly prioritized the sounds we choose to listen to and have ignored some that might be more important than we think? For example, the sound of screeching brakes on a car can drive one crazy. After a while you get used to it and just take it for granted. But how important is it to respond to the sound of your screeching brakes? Trust me, its super important. I recall last year my 2004 Nissan Xterra had screeching brakes, they were so bad that it sounded like a train coming to a halt. But guess what, I ignored it and thought I could fix this later. Well later never came and as I got on the freeway with my friend Jeremy on the way to the golf course, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP! With traffic behind me and cars slowing down in front of us we had no way of bringing that monster to a stop. Thank God that no one got in front of us and that we eventually stopped. But then it hit my bank account. Repairs were ridiculously expensive. And you say, "you should've fixed it dummy." and your right, I should've, I knew that I had to, I knew the importance of it, but I did nothing but continued with my routine.
When is the last time you heard the whispers of God tugging at your heart? His gentle voice breezing over your thoughts and capturing your attention? It can be so easy to put off Gods voice, but we must learn to understand that He is the source of life. We respond so much better to our mobile phone company when they send us a bill in the mail, just about to shut off our service. Because they get our attention and by shutting off our phones, our routine might just be disrupted. Don't wait for something tragic or painful to happen so you can then turn your attention to the One that has been calling you. Just stop for a second, close your eyes and listen.
What do you hear?
Now how will you respond?