I Told You

If you really want to show someone you love them, then listen to them.
I remember reading that sentence a few years ago and it has never left me.
It is profoundly simple.
It is inexorably true.

One of my children will always be an object lesson for that statement.
The one child who, tongue in cheek, will say, nobody ever listens to me.
It is not said out of desperation for she knows she is deeply loved.
It is said more out of frustration since in a family of five children, there are many voices.

As a little girl she felt that what she had to say was not taken seriously.
She felt that her suggestions were not heard.
She felt that even when they were heard, they were not heeded.
I assured her that everything she said was heard.

She proved me wrong a few times.

When our first son was born, she would always sit next to him in the car.
She would place her hand on his car seat as if to assure him that she was there.
After a day out, we all got in the car for the ride home.
My husband and I were talking about something in the front seat.

Mommy, the car seat is not buckled.
Getting no response, she said it louder.
The car seat is not buckled!
I turned to her reminding her that everyone was buckled up, or so I thought.

As we went downhill towards a stop sign, this little toddler fell out of his car seat.
He thankfully did not fall too far forward since she was there to protect him.
My husband pulled over, got out, and fastened the buckle securely.
I hugged my daughter and thanked her, as she sweetly said, I told you.

Fast forward a few years later when all five of our children were born.
I was driving a large Suburban then.
My children and I were leaving our former church one Sunday afternoon.
It was quite a large church and parking was usually difficult to find.

I had parked along the grass area, where the overflow usually parked.
It had rained days before and the ground was saturated with rainwater.
When we got in the car to go home, my wheels were spinning.
They were stuck in the mud that formed from too many tires on the grass.

After hearing my wheels turning in futility, one of the men came over to help me.
I will go in and get a rope to pull you out with my truck.
My daughter was in the back seat giving her suggestions.
I remember telling her to wait so that I could hear what this nice man was saying.

Another man approached the car and said don’t you have four-wheel drive?
I did, but had forgotten that a flick of the switch would help the situation.
A flick of the switch and the Suburban moved with ease.
That’s what I was trying to tell you, Mom! She said as the others concurred.

It has been something she relentlessly, lovingly reminds me.
Remember when you didn’t listen to me and the car got stuck?
Remember when you didn’t listen to me, and my brother fell out of his car seat?
Her reminders usually end with a hug, and yes, if truth were told, an eye roll from me.

Remember when you didn’t listen to me?
I’m sure God can say that from time to time.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.  (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

Over and over in His Word, God reminds us to listen to Him.
He reminds us not only to listen to Him but also to obey Him.
He commands us to love Him, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands.
How are we doing?

We know every bit of trivia but cannot name His Ten Commandments.
We know who is dating who in pop culture but do not know men and women in the Bible.
We know the lyrics to almost every song but have yet to hide God’s Word in our hearts.
We set up fallible people like ourselves to emulate but fail to know the One who is True.

We vote for people because of party affiliation or because we recognize their name.
We never consider God’s criteria for election.
Capable men from all the people.
Men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain. (Exodus 18:21)

We do not listen.
God has every right to say, I told you!
He tells us in His Word.
We were not listening then and we are not listening now.

We sabotage change when we continue with the status quo.
God knows best.
It is spelled out in His Word.
Are you listening?