Selective Hearing

 

I love to run.

I also have two Jack Russell Terriers, Pet and Sam – they love to run, too.

So when I go for runs while I am at home in Cedarville, I really enjoy taking my dogs with me.

However, there is a bit of a problem. My dogs have selective hearing.

Now, if for some reason you are not familiar with selective hearing I will briefly explain it to you: You never hear what you don’t want to hear. Savvy?

Well, my dogs and I have a routine. We live by a busy highway, so when we run across the road, I carry them across and then we run until our legs give out (Mine are usually first). However, if I do not pick them up at the right moment, they tune me out and no amount of screaming will slow them down – and when crossing a 55 mile per hour highway, this can present a bit of a problem.

They never want to hear me say “Slow down!” It seems they know we are out for a run, and that is all they can think about: The goal - run ‘til you drop. They never see the ginormous, four-wheeled monstrosity coming down the highway at sixty miles per hour that has no regards for the little white dogs crossing their path.

But I do.

I can see what they don’t. I can see that if they cross while that car is coming, they might turn into Pete and Sam Pancakes. But instead of heeding my call and coming back, they tune me out and cross the road anyway.

When I was carrying Pete across the road one morning (because he actually listened for once) I thought about this whole situation – and I realized something. I am just like these silly dogs.

It seems that when I think I know where God wants me to go – I go for it. Which can be good – I am sure he appreciates my enthusiasm – however, I often tune Him out in my eagerness to go where He wants me.

Sometimes, I don’t see the car coming.

I start to tune God out thinking, “Okay God, I know where you want me. I’m on it. I’ll see you on the other side!” But I fail to listen to Him calling out the warning to me – I get so focused on where I am supposed to be, and I forget that maybe I’m not supposed to be there yet.

I do not necessarily know what “cars” might be coming at me, but I know that when God calls my name, I need to be ready to wait for Him to catch up, so that we can cross the road together.

Although I can see my dreams ahead of me, He can see the path that will take me to them. Sometimes that means crossing a busy highway.

And I can tell you one thing: I do not want to end up as a Tracy Pancake on that highway.

“The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him.”

~Lamentations 3:25