Listen and Hear

Listening and hearing are not the same. Listening is much more than simply hearing. We hear lots of sounds all day long, but are we truly listening? Before riding this weekend I sat and listened to the wonderful sights and sounds of nature while drinking my morning coffee. I saw and heard a large number of cardinals, doves, wrens, chickadees, hummingbirds and other birds in our front yard enjoying the now year round bird feeders and bird baths.

The ground, feeders, baths and trees were alive. I watched while they were drinking and eating and chasing each other around which was very entertaining, especially when a little hummingbird chased off a much larger bird, but mostly I listened. I listened to their chirps and tweets, the sounds of their wings as they flew in and out, as they scratched and rolled around in the mulch and the splashing sounds from the bird bath. I enjoyed the first flock of geese flying over the house in their typical v shape pattern and their wonderful sounds in flight as they communicated with each other. I listened as birds were cracking seeds open to eat and some seemed to actually “scold ” others to get out of their way. At this sound I realized that some of the feeders needed refilling as did the bird baths. As I went about doing that, I could still listen to them in the surrounding trees. I’m not sure if they were thanking me or telling me to hurry up and get out of their way but I enjoyed listening regardless.

It’s amazing the different sounds you can hear if you truly listen. As I headed out to ride, I removed the zip out piece of my helmet that covers my ears so it would be cooler and so I could hear the wind blowing by. It allowed me to hear the sounds of my bike better, listening to the engine to hear when it’s time to shift and the noise of my guardian bells jingling as I crossed railroad tracks and went over bumps. I also heard the roar of other bikes’ engines, as well as some playing music, as they approached from the opposite direction. The more I listened the more I considered the fact that listening doesn’t always require simply hearing.

Sometimes we are listening to our own thoughts in our head or things we’ve heard previously. As I rode down one of my favorite routes for this time of year, I noticed a single bike ahead that was in the grass on the side of the road. The rider’s helmet and gear were on the ground and he was looking over the bike, I assume checking for possible damage. Traveling alone as a woman I listened in my mind to past conversations about this type of situation. For personal safety in the crazy world we now live in I knew I shouldn’t stop, he was up walking around and appeared to be ok. Just as I started to feel slightly guilty about that decision, even though I knew it was the right one for me, I saw a group of 4-5 bikes headed towards me from the other direction. As I passed the bike beside the road, I looked in my rear view mirror to see the group had put on their brakes and blinkers to pull over so I knew they would assist him if needed. The Lord provided 🙌.

Sometimes listening means hearing words but still having to figure out what’s being said, or what’s really meant. I was reminiscing as I rode through an area that looked like home, where I grew up, and got to thinking about my dad. When I was young, being a daddy’s girl, I listened to his advice and to things he wanted to teach us about hunting and about life. As I got older I listened to his stories about when he was growing up and about things he’d learned and done. Later on listening took on new challenges. If you’ve ever been around someone who has suffered a stroke you may be able to relate. My dad had several strokes and they caused problems with his communication. There were many times he knew what he wanted to say, yet the words that came out were not what he meant. This required us to listen not only to the words but to his feelings, what we knew about him, and what was going on, in order to put all the pieces together and figure out what he really was saying.

The same is true with our granddaughters, our 2 1/2 year old talks very well and is pretty good at communicating her wants and needs, but our 15 month old requires more involved listening as her vocabulary is of course not as developed.

“Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are essily misunderstood.”

Have you ever been talking to someone and you know they heard what you said, but you also know they were not really listening? It can be very frustrating and make you feel like what you’re saying doesn’t matter to them. It can also lead to a lack of communication going forward as you may not see the point in trying to further discuss things with them. I’ve encountered this at work as well as in past relationships and it can take a toll on how and if you choose to communicate.

Today it seems that because people now have the ability to contact others 24/7 through not only phone calls but texts and messaging thru various social media, miscommunication actually seems to be even more prevalent. Now if we don’t respond immediately, it can be perceived as we’re not listening. I’m here to tell you that I’m finding myself not having my phone on me at all times and it’s not because I’m not listening, it’s because I AM listening. I’m listening to my mind and body and the importance for “down time.” When I ride I have my phone with me so that my hubby can see on GPS where I am and so that if I have an emergency I can call for help. I do not have it with me so I can communicate with anyone other than those 2 reasons and I do not wear a bluetooth earpiece to hear if someone is trying to reach me. I know there are others that can handle situations without me if necessary until I return, shouldit become necessary. Knowing that I can do that while I ride has also allowed me to not feel guilty about doing it at other times as well. If we’re not careful we can become prisoners to these devices and miss out on conversations and quality time with others. I grew up in a time long before cell phones and we all survived just fine. The older I get, the less “on demand” I want to be.

Some of my additional favorite things to listen to:

Day to day; laughter and “love you” from my hubby, children, and granddaughters.

At the beach; the seagulls hollering at beach goers to share their food, the pelicans as they swoop down and splash into the water in hopes of catching a fish, and the waves as they crash on the shore.

In the mountains; leaves blowing with the gentle breeze, squirrels chattering, hawks and owls communicating with their mates and the trickling noise of a stream as it cascades over the rocks.

Last but certainly not least, listening to “the still small voice ” of God as He speaks to me, not in an audible voice but in my heart and mind, especially while I ride.

Building 429 has a song titled “Listen to the Sound”. There is a part in there that says,

“You’ll never know what Faith is
Till you don’t understand
Sometimes it takes the silence
To finally hear His plans”

I don’t want to miss out on hearing His plans, because I’m too consumed with listening to everything and everyone else.

Romans 10:17

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Revelation 3:20

“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to dine with him, and he with Me.”

It’s important to take time to listen to learn and understand, not to reply.