“How long, O LORD? I cry for help, but you do not listen!” O Lord, how could we ever think you don’t care, you never listen, that you would purposely turn your back on us or permit your gracious beautiful ears not to hear our prayer or pleading. That you would choose to ignore the sound of our cries, our tears from being heard as they drench our pillows by night and pound the pavement during the day. Who could ever think or ever believe that you stopped listening so long ago at the anguish of creation, the moaning of our broken humanity or the foul and dreadful sound of our cursing and yelling, our profanity, and the obscenities we hurl at you and at one another. The blasphemies we utter in the darkness, the talking back to our parents, the gossiping of our neighbors or the slander of our closest friends. Who could think that you don’t hear it or choose to turn a deaf ear or wish that all the noise would go away. O Lord, why would we ever think that you don’t like the sound of our voice, the terrible sound of our singing, the silence we never offer or the chattering that never seems to cease. You love us, Lord. We are your beloved children. Who wouldn’t want to hear your beautiful children at play or even complain. The eco in our hearts, the thoughts on our brain, the movement of our spirit, the laughter, the song, the praise. All is magical to you, a brilliant symphony, the song of creation. To hear your children in prayer, whether praying or pleading, begging, or singing, asking, or giving, it is all a sweet song of creation. Like the breeze of a tree, or the song of a bird, or the croaking of a frog, or the buzzing of a bee, or the ocean quiet or yelling, the softness of a snowflake, the banging of a woodpecker, the raging of an angry sea, the stillness of a placid lake, the beauty of a mountaintop, even an angry adult or mischievous child is beautiful in your eyes. What hurts you O Lord, is when we turn on you or ignore you. When we say we are mad at you or we stop talking to you or even worst, we ignore you and stop praying or saying I love you or I am sorry, please forgive me. Our voice is your voice when your Word is heard. Thank you, Lord for listening to me.
