Is Anyone Listening?

Has anyone else noticed that there is a lot going on in our country, as well as in the world today? (I know, I know, “Just a slight understatement there, Robert!”) There is the economic crisis, the political turmoil, the threats of terrorism, and on and on it goes. There is so much yet to be resolved. And it seems at times, there is so little progress towards resolution.

I find myself very challenged by all of this. The challenge for me is how to stay informed (as a good citizen should be) without becoming overwhelmed by all of it. And the even bigger challenge for me is how to sort through all the noise that people are making on all sides of the issues, so I can find what I believe to be the paths that we should take to try to solve our problems, and then find a way to support those directions.

So I just wanted to share an observation. In watching opposing sides on issues “discuss” their viewpoints, I am struck by how little listening is going on. All too often, they seem to spend all of their time talking over each other, in ever increasing volume levels, with ever increasing anger, until no one can pick out much of anything from what is being said.

We all have been guilty of not listening. I’m reminded of how many times each day that instead of really listening to what someone is saying, I am thinking about what I am going to say next. As a result, I set myself up to miss out on so much by not focusing on what is being said by others.

One thing that I discovered when I was growing up came out of the fact that I was shy and not willing to speak out much in my classes in school. I would sit and listen to all that was being said in discussions about a particular topic. Time and again I would realize something that others were missing simply because they were so focussed on what they were saying, that they forgot to listen to each other. All I did was piece together parts of what was being said and then muster up the courage to speak. As a result, I would look a whole lot more intelligent than I really was.

So this is what I want to share with you. As I have been listening to those debating their opposing viewpoints, I have been reminded again and again where the Bible gives us the following simple instruction that I think would benefit us all:

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20 (NKJ)

My wish for each of you this day is that you might have a day full of listening and peace.

My Love For You, My Precious Wife

A soft, warm thought of you caresses my mind and brings a quiet smile to my heart. A swell of deep felt emotion builds until it overwhelms me as I long to be near you and hold you in my arms. How I want you to know my love for you!

My love for you is relentless! My love for you is forever unconditional! My love for you has no end! I willingly give you my life!

How I long to sustain you in my love! How I long to protect you in my love! How I wish you could know my love in all its fullness, and rest there, secure, at peace, in my love, for all of your days.

Come away with me, my love, to that place where our two loves meet as one. Where nothing can stand against us! Where joy overflows! Where sweet victory is ours!

Come away with me, my love, to that wondrous place of knowing without speaking. And remain there, with me, forever.


by Robert A. McArthur

A Tale of Two Teachers (part 2)

Of all of the teachers that I have had over the years, there are only a handful that I remember and even those I don’t remember very well. Some I remember fondly, others I could stand to forget. Mostly, I remember the phrases that they would repeat over and over again. “Use your time wisely,” one teacher would say in a nasally tone, at an elevated volume to speak over the noise of a class that was obviously not doing so. Or, “I’m a busy man!” from a hyperactive little man who was very caught up in his own importance and who wore his pants too high for his 97 pound frame. When this same man would vigorously erase the chalk board with his right hand, his left hand would work the air just as hard.

Others I remember for a particular moment in time, like the time our school was experiencing some pretty serious racial tensions and the school had gone on “lock down”.

“Mr. Jones, to the office, please. MISTER JONES!”

That was the signal for teachers to lock the doors and keep all of their students in the classrooms. It was supposed to keep the students from panicking, but everyone knew their was no “Mr. Jones.” So, naturally, everyone ran to the windows to get a look at what was going on. The teacher tried in vain to get us away from the windows and regain control of her classroom. She even suggested that we sing a song together. And so she started with the only song that came to her mind, “Happy Birthday.” No one joined in. I just looked at her in disbelief. As I recall, she was the only one panicked by what was happening. Everyone else just seemed curious. I wish now that I had tried to offer her some comfort.

But this is supposed to be a tale of two teachers, so please excuse the little side journey. The second teacher I wanted to tell you about was my English teacher in my senior year of high school. Whenever I think about the teachers that I have had, she is usually the first one to come to mind. I owe her a great debt of gratitude.

I don’t even remember much about her, but these things I do remember. She was kind. She smiled. She acted like she liked her students. She came off as a little out of touch with the present day, but in a wholesome sort of way. Most of all, I remember her as an encourager, to all of her students.

It was a time in my life that I was trying to build up my self-confidence. And she was trying to help me to find my gifts and reach my potential. It was something a slightly under performing student like myself really needed.

I remember a particular project that she had us do. My subject had something to do with different forms of poetry. We were to present our projects in front of the class, but also in front of a video camera. I was very nervous and can only imagine that it showed. I was reading some of the examples that I had written to illustrate my points. As I was finishing up, she gently interrupted me and encouraged me to share a few more of the examples I had written.

When the taping was done and the camera was off she commented on my work. She didn’t tell me I slouched or that I needed to take my hands out of my pockets. She didn’t tell me I needed to speak louder. She didn’t mention that I was shaking like a leaf or that I stumbled all over myself or that there was no flow to my presentation.

Instead, she smiled as she commented on how well she liked my examples. Then she said, “You command such a presence when you are up there.” I’m not sure I understood what she meant at the time, but I do know it felt good. It felt good because I knew that she saw beyond the obvious and saw the possibilities.

That is how I believe God sees us. And maybe--just maybe--because He can see beyond the obvious, it makes us a little more lovable.

Maybe if we could see others as God sees them, we might find them a little more lovable, too.

A Tale of Two Teachers (part 1)

She was a bitter, tired, frustrated, mean-spirited old woman who had long since lost any love of teaching that she had ever had, and was left hanging on to the only thing she knew to do to sustain herself, until she could finally, mercifully, retire. Looking back, I wonder what horrible life experiences she had that brought her to that place, back in the early 1970’s. What was her heartbreaking story? What could have hurt her so badly that this was the best she had to offer? But back then, I could have cared less. When I wasn’t busy fearing her or avoiding her, I just despised her.

She taught Algebra in the high school I attended. It was well known that she was the one algebra teacher that no one wanted to get. So when I got my schedule that year, I knew that I was in trouble. I was a decent student (though a little under-performing) and usually made A’s and B’s. I wasn’t used to failing. She was, in her own twisted way, determined to make sure that I didn’t fail, and thus sealed my fate. I failed her class miserably.

I have never had a person humiliate me in front of my peers like she did. She seemed to delight in having the ones of us who weren’t “getting it” work problems in front of the class on the chalk board. If we didn’t understand how to work the equation, she would leave us standing there, relentlessly chiding us for not seeing the obvious solution, until the bell finally rang and she would be forced to set us free. I already had very low self-confidence, and as skinny, overly tall, awkward teenager, I just froze it those situations, unable to focus on solving the problem for feeling ashamed and embarrassed by being singled out and put on display.

There were many other things that she did to make sure I felt like a total idiot, but I think that you can get the idea without me going into further detail. As a result of that experience, I found myself avoiding anything that had to do with math. I took the easiest math courses that I could get away with in college. I already knew that algebra was out of the question. I wasn’t going to set myself up to fail, and she had thoroughly convinced me that I would.

Many years later, I decided to pursue some additional schooling at the community college where I live. I was told I would have to take algebra. I started the class with a great deal of anxiety, but soon discovered that I understood the material and actually found it fairly easy. I passed with an “A”.

Here’s my thought in looking back at all this. A lot of who we are is determined by how we deal with what life brings us. We have all heard great stories of how a person has overcome terrible experiences and done great things in spite of them. Wouldn’t it be great if it always worked that way for everyone? It is here where I see the mercy of God at work.

My real concern is for the people who don’t take responsibility for how they treat others, not realizing--or maybe not caring--that in their words and actions is the power create or destroy. Even more frightening is when a person knows that they are cruel, and feels that because they are older, or because of some position of authority they have, they have a right to be that way and don’t have to take responsibility for it. No, we should always hold ourselves accountable for what we say and how we act.

Most of us would never set out to drive a knife into someone’s heart, but to many of us do so by our words alone. The Bible tells us,

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue . . .” Proverbs 18:21a (NKJ)