I'm Sorry, Did You Say Something?

My husband is convinced I have a hearing problem.  I tell him he has a mumbling problem.  I mean, seriously, I'm not that old.  I should be able to hear clearly.  So, it's not me, it's him.  But, he tells me that no one else complains about him mumbling.  He says it's definitely me, not him.  We've agreed to disagree.

I do confess, though.  I would admit to a listening problem.  Not hearing.  Listening.  Yes, I hear him --but sometimes like white noise in the background as I'm engaging my thoughts in something completely different.  Not sure how I've gotten in the habit of this.  But, alas, it's now something that I'm finding takes great effort to fix.

It's not that I don't care about what he has to say.  I'm just distracted.  I have a lot going on.  A lot to balance as a busy mom and teacher.  And, it's hard for me to equally divide my focus -- to continue doing what I'm doing and still try to hear that very important thing he's trying to share with me.  I've come to realize 'divided focus' is an oxymoron.  I have to train myself to stop and just focus on his words alone.

Seems I can have similar issues with the other Special Person who wants to share His Heart with me. I catch words here and there, but ultimately I'm not listening to what He's trying to say. Divided focus. It's not that I'm not interested. I'm just... well, distracted. Like someone talking to me from my living room while I run from room to room doing my daily chores. I respond with a courteous "uh huh" every once and awhile, but the truth is...I'm simply not listening. Much like conversations with my hubby, what I really need to do is just stop and focus on His words alone.