As my second class of the day gathered their belongings at the cue of a bell, I slowly erased the whiteboard and wished them farewell. One young lady straggled in the rear, and I followed closely behind her as she exited my classroom. “Have a good day, Shelli!” I said as she left, and I was surprised when I received no response or even acknowledgement. In a flood of confusion, I quickly scanned her profile to see if she was okay. As my eyes looked over her face, I saw the long wires of her earbuds swaying with her gait as she walked. She wasn’t ignoring me; she simply didn’t hear me.
I was immediately saddened. Throughout the class period, Shelli felt unusually withdrawn. I wondered if this young woman felt unnoticed and unloved, when really she might be failing to notice love. And then I started to wonder how often I might be doing the same…
In his book Hearing God, Dallas Willard says that we often grow dismal about the lack of contact God seems to make with us as individuals. Willard asks readers to pause and imagine a crowded room with mingling people. Someone may very well pine for your attention, yet it goes unheard due to the numerous noises and distractions. In a modern world with insecurities, busy schedules, technology, and recreation, we may be very unaware of the ways God yearns for us. It is not that we are unnoticed and unloved; we are failing to notice love.
I don’t want to put in my metaphoric earbuds and trudge through life oblivious to His blessings. I want to be eagerly alert, like an excited child on a scavenger hunt, for His love is written in obscure places, waiting to be noticed.
this wordy world 