Cover Your Ears

I remember how difficult it is to go shopping when you are potty training a child.
Staying at home is a bit easier since everything is within reach.
However, when you are out shopping with a little one, a moment’s notice is all you get.
It is even more interesting when you have other children with you.

I witnessed this as I walked behind a woman carrying an infant seat.
She walked into the restroom and saw that the large handicapped stall was occupied.
For a mother with young children, the larger stall is such a blessing.
It gives her room to maneuver the infant seat or her other children with relative ease.

This young mom was waiting until that larger stall became available.
I heard a little girl talking and expressing her fear.
I cover my ears! She said.
I not hear the sound! She said with a bit of fear in her voice.

I was trying to think what loud sound might make her afraid.
In my mind there were two possibilities: the sound of flushing or the sound of the hand dryer.
I remembered the same fears in some of my children when this training was still new.
Sounds can be so loud in a public restroom.

Apparently, the little girl covered her ears.
I heard the flushing sound and the little girl’s voice.
It not loud! She said relieved.
I imagined her little hands over her ears.

Very soon, she stood at the sink to wash her hands.
The bubbles from the soap as it lathered was fun for her.
Then came the next scary sound.
She put her little hands under the hand dryer and scrunched her face, anticipating the sound.

I also think that particular hand dryer is loud.
The woman with her was her grandmother who wisely talked to her the entire time.
It not loud! She said with a smile.
She walked over to the woman holding the infant seat and touched the baby’s forehead.

Grandmother, mother, and two daughters all exited the restroom at the same time.
I remember the days when it seemed that I did not have enough arms.
I remember the days of loud sounds that frightened my little ones.
I remember all the things I did to try to keep those fears at bay.

There really is a noise overload in our culture.
We never realize how noisy life can be until the noise stops.
It takes losing power in a storm to really experience quiet that can be felt.
The white noise that we do not even hear on any given day is noticeably absent.

The hum of a refrigerator.
The sound of the heater as it turns on.
The ice maker as it drops ice cubes.
The ticking of a clock.

Sounds are all around us.
We notice when they are not there.
Some sounds are welcome and comforting.
Some sounds are annoying and can frighten us.

Unlike the little girl, we never admit that a certain sound is a problem for us.
We are adults.
We are above that kind of thing.
Until a thunder storm, or a howling wind, or a siren goes off in the night.

The little girl was just a bit more honest.
The little girl had no problem covering her ears.
The little girl knew that it was safe to admit her fears.
The little girl was glad that her grandmother understood.

I may not be afraid of the sounds in a public restroom but other sounds bother me.
I do not like loud thunder.
I do not like the howling of the wind.
I do not like to hear angry voices.

The dislike of that type of sounds seems obvious.
There are other sounds we need to be aware of throughout our day.
There are other sounds we need to protect our children from hearing.
It is not only what they see that matters, it also matters what our children hear.

Even if they are not watching a particular TV show, can they hear it in the background?
What they hear gets into their little hearts; more than we can ever imagine.
What kind of language do they hear?
What kind of story is being told even when you think they cannot hear?

We cannot go through life covering our children’s ears.
We can be careful about what is within earshot of our children.
Their innocence is something to protect and preserve.
I often thought of a mental picture to help me.

Imagine your child with their head tilted to the side.
You stand next to them with a funnel.
As you put the funnel near their ear, sounds begin to pour in.
What if there was a cacophony of sounds that you would prefer them not to hear?

You would quickly remove the funnel.
Actually, You would never put the funnel there to begin with.
The constant flow of sounds into our children’s ears will eventually prevent them from hearing.
They will hear the world’s cacophony of sounds but will they hear the Whisper?

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 King 19:11-13)

Elijah was afraid.
God’s presence was about to pass by him.
Elijah heard the great and powerful wind but the Lord was not in the wind.
Elijah heard the rumble of the earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

The Lord was not in the fire that came next.
The Lord was not in the things that Elijah expected to find Him.
I can imagine Elijah covering his ears in fear.
Then, there was a gentle Whisper.

The Lord was in the gentle Whisper.
He still is.
If we are not careful of the sounds poured into our children’s ears, they will miss Him.
They have to learn to cover their ears to the sound of the world so they can hear God’s Whisper.

So do we.