You never listen to Me... or... Thanks for listening

Acts 8:26 "But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.). So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Interrupting.  It's a habit I've been trying to break for a long time.  It drives my wife crazy.  She'll be telling me something and before she can finish, I jump in, assuming I know what she's going to say (usually I get it wrong), and the conversation ends in frustration for both of us.

Ignoring.  That's another thing I'm working on.  Sometimes I get so focused on what I'm doing (or watching) that I shut everything else out.  Someone may be talking to me and I hear the words, but I shut them out.  It even happens mid-conversation.  My mind wanders and I lose track of what is being said.

Listening to someone is a sign of respect; it shows that you genuinely value them, that what they have to say is important to you.  Interrupting and ignoring a person devalues him or her and is self-centered, prideful.

I'm ashamed to admit that these habits carry over to my spiritual life as well.  I want to be like Phillip, actively listening and responding to God as He speaks to me.  Phillip was busily involved in an exciting ministry when God gave him a new assignment.  He could have interrupted or ignored the instructions, but instead, he humbly obeyed.

How often I hear the Spirit directing me to pray for someone, or to stop what I'm doing and help someone, and I ignore him because I'm too busy doing "my thing".  How often I interrupt Him when we're having a conversation, or I allow my mind to wander as He speaks to me.

As with my wife, The Lord is too often justified in saying, "You never listen to me!"  I want to change my behavior; I want to hear the words, "Thanks for listening."

Lord, please forgive me for interrupting and ignoring You.  Please help me to break that habit, both with You and with others.  Help me to stay "in the moment", focused on what You're saying to me.  I truly want to hear and respond to You.  Thank You for patiently listening to me. Amen.