When Juliana was little and she had something important to say, she would take my face in her two chubby little hands and turn it so I was looking her in the eye. She would then lean in close and tell me whatever was on her mind. This way she could make sure that there was no distraction and that she was well and truly heard! To this day and at the age of almost sweet 16 , she still checks to see if I’m listening and if I can’t repeat what she’s  said, there is hell to pay!

She wants to be heard. Heck, I want to be heard! My husband is not a man who listens actively and I often want to grab his head and hold it just like my baby girl used to do…

I am an active talker and this makes my prayer life very interesting! If there was a hidden device recording God and I in my morning prayer time, I’m sure it would make for some interesting entertainment!  Just ask my husband if you really want to know how my mouth almost comes off of my face when I am excited about something or if I really want something badly enough ! The poor man has a hard time keeping up with what I babble at him so he often just looks down and nods with a truly perplexed look on his precious face!

Did you know that God is an active listener, FULLY engaged in whatever prayer is being offered up to Him by anyone and at any time? I noticed the other day that if Alexia is on the phone talking to me and Juliana is in the room adding to our conversation and Tasos walks in and starts talking too, I have a really hard time listening to any of them, let alone fully engaging with them. That’s only three people. I know that it is important to not only hear my family but to really listen to them . Its hard when the voices are coming from all around you. I cannot actively listen and engage with each member of my family in a way that makes them certain that I have taken  in every word that they have spoken, thoughtfully digested it and come up with an appropriate response if I am not really taking note of everything they say, as well as their body language and facial expressions.

God loves to engage with you. He delights in every cry from your heart, every delightful whoop that bursts from your gut- as you do a small victory dance while punching the air -and every request that you bring hopeful before Him. He listens to you as if you were His one and only child, His precious beloved YOU ! He knows everything that you’re going say before it finds its way out of your mouth and He is familiar with every nuance and expression. He sees beyond the stuff ups, the lies we tell others as well as ourselves and the wall we put up  for protection. He sees and He knows. Best of all, He delights in everything about you. He sees potential in you that you haven’t even thought about yet and He listens…..Yes, He listens. I can picture His Holy nail scarred hands holding my face and looking into my eyes , fully, lovingly and sometimes amusingly engaging with me as if there was absolutely no place He’d rather be and no face He’d rather be looking into!

Please don’t let anything stop you pouring out everything that’s on your heart to Him. That would be robbing  both of you. Imagine if your kids didn’t want to involve you in their everyday life . He created you and me for the sole purpose of relationship. He is not too busy / mad at you / only available to priests and rabbi’s / uninterested or far away in Heaven!  He is waiting for you.  Eager and fully engaged ! What are you waiting for?

I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for   mercy. Because He bends down to listen,I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:1-2