I Hear You, But I'm Not Listening

A concerned husband went to his doctor and said, "Doc, I think my wife is going deaf. What can I do?" The doctor replies: “Go home and stand 15 feet from her and speak to her. If she doesn’t reply, move 5 feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so we’ll get an idea about the severity of her deafness.” The man goes home and does as directed. He starts off standing 15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she is chopping vegetables and says, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” He hears no response. He moves 5 feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves 5 feet closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about an inch away, and asks loudly, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” She replies, “For the fourth time, vegetable stew!”

I thought about that story this weekend when I was in a prayer team (common to a Holy Spirit 101 retreat or healing night) of four people. I noticed a man continuing to turn his left ear in the direction of the person who was speaking, time and time again. After we had individually prayed for each one in this group, I asked the man if he’d like prayer for his hearing. He quickly said, “I don’t have a problem with hearing, but my wife thinks I do. Actually, the problem isn’t hearing – it’s listening.” He amused us enough for each of us to compare notes on how well we listen – especially to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I think this cartoon best describes why we're not hearing. The message is clear and true to our lives. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:" (John 10:27). I wonder if He had in mind how difficult "listening for His voice" would be in 2019? Of course, He did. And, if ever we needed to hear His voice, it is in this day and time. So many voices chiming in, so many distractions each and every day and being pulled by our social media apps and electronics that keep us nose-dived into content overload.

We need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, comfort, guidance, peace, and direction. Of course, we long to hear His voice, but in the busy-ness, the clamor and the many, many activities and distractions of everyday life, oftentimes, we may be hard-pressed to find that quiet PLACE where we can go for solace, rest and peace, and hear the voice of our Shepherd. And, even when we manage to find that place, like in this cartoon, the noise of our cell phones, radios, computers, TV, etc. -- keeps us distracted from hearing our Shepherd's voice.

We need to find that place where His voice comes through loud and clear to us. Oh, He has that place -- and we can find it, but it's up to us to disregard the distractions to "Be still (that’s a feat in itself) to hear and know our God." And, I'm not referring to a far-away island in the middle of no-where. It's possible to find that place if only for a few minutes in our day, to "Come away with Him"!

Matthew 13:13 -- Jesus said, “This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’”

Point and Ye Shall Receive

I’m back in Austin -- called in for “Nana Patrol”. Ryan is running his 52nd full marathon in the Boston Marathon today. He runs this one to raise funds for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center, a place that provides emotional and physical support for those with disabilities and their families.

While on Nana Patrol, I get to be a part of Brennan's baseball tournaments. This weekend's games were at the “Field of Dreams” (I love that name!) baseball fields in Dripping Springs, 40 minutes away – practice warm-up at 7:15 am! Because we had time between games, Brennan and some buddies chose Crazy Crepes for breakfast. What an eye-opener I had!

The aromas are heavenly at this small town, crepe eatery that is packed full of guests. There are just a few tables indoors and an attached covered outdoor area. A sign reads “Point and Ye Shall Receive,” the simplest way for customers to order a meal from the all-deaf staff. At a small counter, a lovely woman takes our orders as we point to the items we want.

The Crazy Crepes story is of a family of immigrants struggling to bring a dream to life in America. It is the story of a deaf-owned business, which discovered taste as a universal language that transcends barriers to communication. Vladimir and Inna Giterman came from Russia to Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1990 with their son and six years later they arrived in Austin, where they had their first American-born daughter, Michelle.

Vladimir and Inna had business ideas in America, where there was a possibility for deaf people to start their own companies. They hosted parties with friends and cooked their beloved crepes, a time-honored recipe from Vladimir’s mother. Their original flavors were ham and cheese, and Nutella and banana (my grandsons’ favorite), which they sold out of a small food truck downtown Austin in 2007. Their son found a Craigslist posting for a site in Dripping Springs, and the family opened their first brick-and-mortar location there in 2014. They opened a second store in Austin just a few months ago.

They strongly believe in supporting the local deaf community. All of their contractors, electricians, chefs, and staff are deaf. “We hire deaf people because they have a hard time getting a job out there,” Michelle Giterman writes. “We know they are as talented as anyone. And it’s really nice for us to be able to communicate with our workers without worrying about any communication barriers. “It’s a win-win situation for all of us.”

My grandsons could see I was enamored with this place and this family. They asked, “Why are you taking pictures?” I explained: “I have a blog coming and it’s going to be about those who say 'I can’t do that because I’m not smart enough. I can’t do that because I’m too old. I can’t do that because I’m not talented enough. I can’t do that because I’m a girl. I can’t do that because I’m overweight. I can’t do that because I don’t have enough money. I can’t do that because I have a handicap." Etc. Etc. Etc. And, I’d like to say, “Oh yes, you can do anything because Philippians 4:13 says, " I can do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens me." NO excuses!

When someone says, “I can’t do it” . . . I say to myself, “What do you mean you can’t do it?” Maybe you don’t want to do it, but saying you “can’t” do it is a completely different story. With the right mindset, positive attitude, and a clear vision of what you want to accomplish, the only thing that is holding you back is yourself. These wonderful Russian immigrants proved it. They brought a blessing to the U.S. They showed us there is nothing we can’t do when we start saying "I CAN do this!".