“Whether
you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way;
walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Do
you have SHD? What, you mean you’ve never heard of this disorder? Neither had I
until I did some research. SHD is the acronym for Selective Hearing Disorder,
meaning we hear what we want to hear. Young children and teenagers are masters
of this disorder. So are most adult males.

I recall
when my sons were young and I would ask them to pick up their toys. Later,
after checking on their progress, I would find they had not followed
instructions. When asked why, the reply was usually, “We didn’t hear you.”
Sound familiar?

Other
examples of SHD in children include the deer-in-the-headlight look when asked
to do chores, eat peas or get ready for bed. Men also suffer from this malady. Have
you ever tried to relate an important tidbit of information to a couch potato
engrossed in a movie or a football game, only to find out he never heard what
you said?

The
people of Israel had a hearing problem too. How many warnings did they receive?
How many times did God tell them to turn away from their wicked ways, including
intermarrying and worshipping idols? The prophet Isaiah was on a mission from
God to admonish the people and keep them on the right path.

However,
Isaiah wasn’t the only prophet who tried to get the people’s attention.
Jeremiah incessantly warned his people to mend their ways before it was too
late. In Jeremiah 5, he says, “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who
have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.”

Recently,
a woman in my Sunday school class shared a story about hearing from God. While Saturday
shopping in a nearby town, she was not pleased with the treatment she received
at one of the stores where she made purchases. After returning home, she
pondered her attitude toward the store personnel and realized she had not been
kind with her words or actions. She returned the following Monday, driving more
than 20 miles both ways, to apologize. However, the women to whom she needed to
ask for forgiveness were not working that day. Upon learning why she wanted to
speak to the Saturday employees, the store clerks agreed to relay her message
of apology. They were amazed she had returned to admit she had been wrong.

While
my friend had not heard God’s audible voice, she had listened to that still,
small voice convicting her of unacceptable behavior. Because He would not let
her forget the wrongness of her bad attitude toward the store clerks, she knew
she had to make things right.

Did
you know that a synonym for “wrongness” is sin? Are you suffering from SHD? When
was the last time you listened for that still, small voice telling you “this is
the way, walk in it?”

Respond to the author with your feedback atcarolaround@yahoo.com.
You can also read more atwww.carolaround.com.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading …

About Carol Round

I have been writing stories, poetry
and essays since I was first able to hold a pencil. Although I have been a freelance
writer for more than 25 years, I turned my passion for writing into a full-time
career after retiring in 2005 from a northeastern Oklahoma public school
system. My passion is using my writing
to inspire others.

I have written articles for national
magazines, like Western Horseman, American Profileand Mature Years. My essays have appeared in
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,”“Hometown
Heroes”and “Raging Gracefully.”

“A Matter of Faith,” my self-syndicated column,
is currently running in 12 Oklahoma newspapers and two collections of my
columns are also available in book form. Carol’s latest book, “Journaling with
Jesus: How to draw closer to God,” was just released and can be purchased at http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000522049/Journaling-with-Jesus.aspx
or at www.journalingwithjesus.com.

I always love hearing from my
readers and I especially welcome hearing about how God has worked or is working
in your life. Readers may contact me at carolaround@yahoo.com or check out
my blog at www.carolaround.com
to purchase copies of my books and read more inspirational thoughts.

• Mail

|

• Web

|

• More Posts (127)