“He replied, ‘You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward a welcome awakening.’” (Matthew 13:11-13 MSG)
It was an early morning in late February when I woke up to the joyful sounds of birds chirping outside my window. It was still winter in Iowa, but a few unusual days of warmth had brought the birds out. As soon as my husband woke up, I asked him if he had heard the birds. He had not. He sleeps with earplugs in. I could hear the birds again while we were eating breakfast, but he could not hear them above the music that was playing. I heard them again when we were outside walking by the pond, but he wasn’t paying attention at that moment. As we approached an area full of trees, I asked him to listen carefully. Finally, he could hear the bird songs.
This got me wondering...
Why can some people perceive God while others cannot? I think some have intentionally plugged their ears against anything spiritual. In other instances, the sounds of the world drown out the whispers of the Spirit. But in most cases, it is habitual inattentiveness and lack of interest that prevent us from noticing God’s presence.
Whenever someone has a ready heart, the insights and understandings flow freely. God creates the readiness, nudging us toward awakening. When there is interest, our minds become open and teachable. A receptive spirit becomes perceptive--learning to tune in and pay attention. With practice, we start noticing God’s presence all around us.
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