I Faced Her and Listened

A neighbor just returned from a trip to Italy and Greece. I saw her near the mailboxes and greeted her, and asked how her trip had been. Right away, I point out the title to show that I not only was interested but that she had my full attention.

That’s the only way to keep a valued friend. Face them, look at them, and then listen.

I suppose I got this way early in my life, working around truckers who had tall stories to tell. Some were just lonely from too many hours spent behind the wheel, driving along in the dark hours to keep early morning delivery schedules. Sometimes, back then, even a CB radio could offer no distraction from white line fever. Drowsiness and using speed (Dexies) are mutually destructive. One never beats the other; they compete all night long, every mile a driver could endure.

There was another battle, and that became sleep. Driving drowsy but awake, dependant on speed, was just the way it went. But when it came time to sleep, too much coffee and “black beauties” would keep them tossing around in their sleeper compartments, never really getting to sleep.

When they came into my father’s terminal, they had idle time before going out again. For distraction, because they might not be able to sleep, or they had managed to sleep with a little bit of help from some downers, they’d be chatty. I liked most of them and was always ready to hear a tall tale. They told the best and worst stories.

In a trucker’s life, little things mean a lot. I was a kid, but being able to talk to another human being was one of those things I thought was small, but now I realize it meant a lot to them.

And to me, too: they got me through some tough times.

I wanted to give my neighbor the same kind of attention. She’s not merely a neighbor but a good friend of ten years. And, I really wanted to hear about Greece, one of the few places on earth I’d really love to visit. She had seen the Parthenon, the Acropolis, a statue of Zeus, a museum with ancient busts. Visited a few of the islands and sampled some of the finest Greek cuisine and wine, and being on a cruise, had met some good people who, I’m sure, she will never forget.

After playing AC Odyssey, an open world game set during the Peloponnesian War, I was smitten with Greece. What beauty that game held, with dynamic storms that tossed the ships in the Aegean and transitioned the seasons, was unlike anything I had ever seen. Riding a horse is done every bit as well as RDR 2, or the Witcher 3. And my friend had been there!

Well, we talked until dark. I had the odd question or two, apologized for interrupting, and mercifully let her get back inside: these mosquitoes! Is it me, or do they get more vicious with each passing year?

There are benefits to giving someone your full attention. Big ones. They remember why they enjoyed your company. They grow fond of you and will often approach you even if it’s just for a quick greeting and to inquire as to your health. That is priceless to me.

I, like my trucker friends of so long ago, also get lonely. At times, I can feel it dragging me down.

That’s when I tend to stray from my path. Distractions ease loneliness. But then again, every one of them takes me away from the Lord. I ought to be praying, strengthening my faith, and seeking to restore my heart with the Holy Spirit. But I instead get weak. I go to other things, and they never do anything but take me further away from God.

That’s worse than I thought it was. In the following short clip, I learned that some distractions are worse than others. The price for those is much more than I could ever bear.

I don’t mind recreation. I spent an hour yesterday sharpening and polishing my Crocodile Dundee knife. That thing is sick. The blade length is 12 inches. It’s over two pounds in weight with a thick 440 stainless steel. The reason I bought it was because every tree surrounding this area is dying. A sickly-green fungus visible on the bark is attacking them and leaving them open to attacks by insects as well. Huge, dead branches are always falling during high winds and storms. If a large branch falls, I may need to chop it into smaller pieces to move it. It was this knife or a machete, and I’m going to skip that in favor of a cordless saw. But that’s down the road, and I don’t want to be distracted by wanting things. But using whet stones seems to be a lost art, and the distraction was fun. I’m still learning.

Even a history book is fine, and movies are sometimes okay, depending on content. I’ve come to hate nudity and sex scenes in films because they’re always awkward and gratuitous. They subtract from an otherwise good story. Even violent content is going overboard.

When it comes to distraction, though, the cell phone is unequaled. It’s too bad and far too late to stop it. I’ve seen people have accidents that way. Kids and adults alike walk around with their eyes glued to the screen, oblivious to everything around them, even danger. I get worried about women doing this, unaware that they’re being stalked by someone about to cause them harm.

In this short lesson,  we hear what distractions do to our faith and why Jesus hates them.

Let’s take a look:

I pray that those listening will take this to heart. I pray we will face Jesus, listen for our names to be called, and accept whatever He wants us to do.