Learning to Listen

Today I went to visit a relative who now lives at the "memory" unit at a local retirement home. Although she at times has problems remembering who I am, she seemed to know and remember that it has been quite a while since I'd been there last. I had hoped her memory would skip that detail. All the same, she was delighted to see me. She's my mom's cousin, a widow without any children. It has long been on my heart that I need to start seeing her. In the Bible it says:

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

I did go see her earlier this year. Even though my intentions were good, I just didn't hold to a return visit. (I've once heard that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.) I guess I had some moments during the previous visits that made me uncomfortable, like when she thought I was my mother and I was married to my father. Awkward. She can be so coherent and then she'll say something that makes you realize she just slipped.

I managed to "forget" to see her over that past few months. There's only one problem. Every time I spent time in prayer with God, and checked in with Him as to what He wanted me to do....well, I saw her face. I once heard a wise old preacher say, "The next thing God wants you to do is the last thing He told you to do." Ouch.

I've spent several months wondering why I haven't had as close of a relationship with God, but now I see that it wasn't God that stopped communicating. I had selective hearing, kind of like my dog when we're out in the woods. She can hear me fine when it pertains to doggie treats or something she wants, but totally deaf if she doesn't like the request.

I was apprehensive about today's visit, but left feeling so rewarded and touched by her stories. Whether or not they are exactly true didn't matter. I wouldn't know the difference any way. The only thing that mattered was that for an hour, she was able to relive a happy time in her life and I was enriched because of it. Today I learned to listen.