I Was Listening After All

 By: Paula Short

As a teenager, I spent a lot of time doing typical teenage things like listening to music and hanging out with friends, talking on the phone, or I had my nose in a horse story.

It's common for parents to think their children aren't paying attention when they're talking about something important. This was the case for me when my parents talked about Jesus. They would have conversations about church, faith, His word, and evils to look out for in the world. I remember my dad saying Paula, you should be paying attention. I would look up from my dinner plate from time to time, but I was really daydreaming. Yes, I was a daydreamer. However, I must have been listening because Jesus has become the love of my life.

I grew up in a Christian home, and my mom modeled living for Christ. We would go to church together as a family, and they taught me about Jesus. Still, I was never paying close enough attention to connect with Him. It wasn't until I went through some difficult times, not just poor choices; they were terrible, hardships and downright hitting rock bottom, not once but several times, and losing precious family in my life, that I started to seek out a deeper understanding of Him.

As I began to explore and "pay attention," I found myself drawn to Jesus. His message of love and acceptance, grace and mercy struck me, and I began to feel a deep connection to his teachings. It was then that I realized that my parents' conversations about Jesus had impacted me, even if I didn't realize it then.

Boy, was it a long road, but it wasn't long before Jesus became the love of my life. While my parents may not have seen it then, their conversations about Jesus helped shape my faith and bring me closer to Him and the love I feel today. I find comfort in his teachings and feel a sense of purpose in following his example.

It's funny how sometimes things that seem insignificant or go unnoticed at the time can profoundly impact our lives. I'm grateful for those moments of unintentional listening that helped shape my faith. I must have taken in more than I realized because here I am today, living my life for Him.

I Must Have Been Listening

They spoke of Jesus oh so often, 
But I pretended not to care. I thought
it was just talking, forgotten, But their 
words became my prayer.

They taught of love, forgiveness, 
grace, And how He died to set us free.
I listened quietly, with no trace Of how 
their words were changing me.

Now I see that they were right, 
Jesus is the love of my life. Their 
teachings, once out of sight, Are 
now my beacon in the night.

So thank you, Mom and Dad, for 
sharing The truth that set my heart 
ablaze. I may have seemed like I 
wasn't caring, But I was listening 
all those days.

Reflection

Did you pay attention well growing up?
Is there anything you "learned" when you didn't think you were listening?