Is Anyone Listening?

These are just my random thoughts these days as I try to balance it all.  I’ve found that listening is becoming an even more important skill than I realized it would be.  Both for me and for others.  An example, if you will.

I set the bag of noodles on the counter and said to my husband, “Don’t use as much water as the directions call for…just make them like normal in the normal pot.”  With that, I gathered up Junior and his swim bag and headed out for his lesson.

No sooner had I gotten comfortable in the molded plastic chair, than I got a text:

Mr. Amen:  Do I make all noodles?  It calls for 4 quarts of water!

Me:  Yes, make all noodles.  U don’t need so much water.

Mr. Amen:  Ok.  That’s 2 full pitchers of water…We don’t have a pot that big.

Another for your reading pleasure? 

This past Tuesday, I was at working busily on 3 major projects at once.  Mr. Amen was at his new job, perhaps a little bored with not so much to do yet.  He texted me that he had gone to Pa.nera for lunch with some colleagues; it was about 6 degrees outside and I usually eat out at lunch and usually teach catechism on Tuesday evenings and I had an all-day training session the following day in Lansing…the following conversation unfolded:

Me:  Lol.  Cool.  Someone had a mtg here and there were leftovers from pa.nera…score!

Mr. Amen:  Ha!  Did you get a Mou.ntain Dew?

Me:  No.  We didn’t leave the office and they only have Co.ke here

Mr. Amen:  I’m reconciling payments in Polish

Me:  Fun.

Mr. Amen:  So r u teaching or just attending?

Me:  Tonight?  Attending.  Tomorrow?  Teaching.

One last one?  You're welcome.

Mr. Amen did daycare pick up because he beat me there by 2 minutes.  I went straight home.  When he arrived home, insanity ensued as I was trying to get the baby out of her car seat, entertain the 4 year old, go to the bathroom and change my clothes before running back out the door.  Mr. Amen was going to the bathroom, changing his clothes, bringing all the stuff in from the car and checking the package that arrived on our porch.  I noticed Junior was wearing his sweatpants instead of his jeans and asked him why.  He informed me that he had had an accident and had to change pants at school.  I complimented him on his fine I.ron Man costume he has just put on and he flatly told me I was wrong and that, in fact, he was St. Francis Xavier.  My mistake.  I left for my meeting.

As I left my meeting an hour and a half later I checked my text messages before getting in the car and see the following three messages:

Mr. Amen:  Where the Hell is his underwear?

Mr. Amen:  he’s just wearing his sweatpants.  Did you take them off?

Mr. Amen:  Nevermind…I’ll tell u when u get home

I absolutely did LOL at that series.  I guess daycare failed to mention to Mr. Amen that there had been a little potty incident and Junior had only shared the day’s events with me.

I wonder if God experiences episodes like this with us.  I know, He’s all-knowing and all-seeing so He always knows where we’re coming from or what we’re talking about, but…

I don’t always know what He’s talking about though.  Is it because He’s trying to finish a conversation I had started earlier before I got distracted and walked away from Him?  Has he moved on to the next or more important topic and I still am stuck stewing on the past?  Or sometimes maybe it’s just a LOL moment of “Oh, I thought you were listening at Mass, Mrs. Amen when my representative, Fr. JJ spoke about this exact thing.  Guess I need to clarify that that was Me speaking through him to you.”

I don’t know.  I’m trying to do better, listen better and be better.  Just as my mom told me growing up and I tell my son - if you can’t listen to Mommy’s BIG LOUD voice, how will you ever hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit trying to guide you?  I should take that good advice.