Listen Up!
Lucas. Could you help your brother….
Lucas! Could you help with your brother?
LUCAS!!! COULD YOU GET YOUR BROTHER?!?!
“Sorry dad, I didn’t hear you.” He replies as he struggles to tear his face away from his Ipad.
This conversation happens pretty often in our house. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I tell them that life is bigger than the electronic device in their hands, my kids still don’t get it sometimes.
My wife and I have set some major boundaries in our house to limit this type of thing from happening every day. But you can believe on the days that Ipads are allowed, this same conversation will play out with one of our kids.
It’s funny though as I began to think about how frustrating it is to see them so engrossed in themselves, I realized I’m not that much different. I’m absolutely positive I miss opportunities to help and serve people everyday because of a similar reason. No, I’m not engrossed in my phone (Ok, I admit, that’s a problem I need to address as well). But often times I’m so concerned about what’s going on with me, I miss the bigger picture.
Bills, appointments, business stuff, meetings, more bills, more business stuff, household chores, car repairs, election news, Facebook updates, snapchat pictures…consume my day and my thoughts. (I’m willing to guess I’m not alone in this).
I have to wonder how many times I’ve missed someone calling my name that needed my help. I don’t necessarily mean literally saying my name, but there are opportunities to help all around us….if we are willing to listen.
God has given each of us unique gifts and talents as well as placed us in unique positions to be able to help and serve. As one of my sister’s favorite bible stories says, “For such a time as this..” we’ve been placed in certain situations. The question is, are we able to get our heads out of our own personal “Ipads” to answer the call?
I’d love to say I’ve succeeded at it. I’d love to say, I help every chance I get. But it’s not true. Not even close. The gravitational pull back to my own issues seems stronger than even Newton discovered.
But if we are able to listen…just a little bit, we’ll be able to hear our name being called. It might be from a co-worker, a family member or the homeless guy on the corner. It may come from a child from the other side of the world who needs a sponsor or a family in Baton Rouge who has lost everything. You may hear your name when you witness racial injustice on your street or when a friend just needs to talk.
One way or another, we are being called to a bigger, greater purpose. We don’t need to look for it. We just need to be willing to listen.
I hope this story encourages and challenges you to listen. There’s a world out there that needs exactly what you can share. If you’d like more stories like this be sure to follow Transformation Matters by clicking here.
