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He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
Should I text, email, phone, or speak face-to-face? I exhausted all strategies for attempting to communicate with the narcissist in my life. I even read to him a carefully edited letter so I could add facial expressions and tonal qualities. Nothing worked. He had no ears to hear.
Apparently, Jesus understood this type of limited hearing. Fourteen times, scripture records Jesus concluding his stories (parables) with the phrase, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” Those who listened—curious crowds, religious leaders, and devoted followers—heard differently. They heard only as they were able to understand.
The Message translates Matthew 13:9, “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Like the crowds, I, too, feel like I am beginning to gradually develop ears to hear. As my mental fuzzies clear and my nervous system settles, I am more attuned to my heart and my intuition. I also increasingly sense the Holy Spirit guiding my thoughts as I read Scripture.
Steadying my heart and my mind for the day and the journey ahead requires that I listen, really listen, and that I hear, really hear God’s truths and His promptings.
I attribute this new way of hearing to progress in healing from the emotional stress and tension of a narcissistic relationship. I am uncovering a calmer, more receptive, and less guarded “me.” I am, basically, becoming more wholly present.
The distraction of the mental chaos of those years, though, is still fresh on my mind and prompts me to rejoice in God’s graces and accomplishments in my life as He continues the work of restoration.
Thank You, Father, for helping me hear more clearly what I need to hear from Your Word, from Your Servants who teach Your Word, and from Your own Heart through Your Holy Spirit. Incorporate what I hear into my heart and mind for Your glory. In Your Son’s name, Jesus, I pray, amen.
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