It’s hard being 2. My son’s will is connected to his feet, and the second an idea pops into his head, his whole body follows. “Doggie’s food!” he says as he runs over and grabs a piece out from under the dog’s nose. Later he throws a tennis ball into the bathtub without any thought of how he’ll retrieve it. “Uh oh! Ball!” he says as it rolls out of reach.
It’s a challenge, but in order to help my toddler understand what is acceptable behavior, I must first get him to stop moving and look me in the eye. “Look at Mommy,” I say when I grab his hands as he tries to bang the table with his toys. “We don’t beat the table with our toys. This is how we play with them.” I demonstrate for him, and then kiss him on the cheek before sending him on his way.
Getting his attention is difficult enough, but my son has the harder job—stopping his feet long enough to look at me. One time he tried to look at me without stopping his feet—and ran straight into a wall.
I can’t be mad—I’m no different. If I’m going to listen and learn from God, I have to stop moving. I have to cease following my own will long enough to look Him in the eye—and read His Word. He has so much love and wisdom to share with you and me, and too often, we just run right past Him.
As Dr. Stanley often says, “Listening to God is essential to walking with God” (Life Principle 13). In his article on this topic, he explains how much God wants to talk with us:
You may ask, “Does the Lord really speak to us today?” The Bible assures us that He does. The book of Hebrews opens this way: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). Our God is not silent. Our heavenly Father is alive and active. He speaks to us individually and in a way that we can hear Him, receive His message, and obey Him. He is infinite, fully capable of communicating with each of us, right where we are—in the midst of our circumstances—in a very personal way.
Your heavenly Father wants to connect with you, guide you, and tell you how much he loves you. Will you stop long enough to look Him in the eye and listen? When you do, you’ll receive the blessings, peace, and joy that come with knowing Him better.
Written by Linda Canup
