"Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving" (Isaiah 6:9).
Last night we sure had a nice surprise phone call. Marvin Estuardo Culajay Osorio was a five year old boy from Guatemala when he lived with us in the late eighties while receiving medical care here in the US. He's twenty-five now and married with one son. He "found" us on the internet last year and we have been in contact several times since. He has limited English and we only know a few Spanish phrases so our attempts at conversation are laborious, interesting and full of nervous chuckles. Thankfully we need no interpreter for explaining the meaning of laughter.
He called to greet Ester on her birthday and we ended up "talking" for awhile. His wife, son, brother, and sister also greeted me, his Tio (“Tio” is the Spanish word for “Uncle”, the endearing title he gave me while he was in our care. Brooksyne was Tia “Aunt.”) I heard his family members clearly over the phone but had a very difficult time understanding them.
Even within a single language, depending on where you live, folks in other parts of the country may "talk funny". Shortly after our move to Massachusetts back in the early nineties a lady stood up at the conclusion of a church service and asked, "Is anyone going to the potty with me?" I sure thought it strange that she would ask such a personal question publicly. Brooksyne and I quickly looked at each other quizzically hoping for more understanding. Well you probably guessed by now what she was meaning. The "r's" sort of disappear in the New England states and she was actually speaking of "going to a party."
In the novel,"Grapes of Wrath" John Steinbeck expresses the same thought through the character of Ivy: "Everybody says words different: 'Arkansas folks says 'em different, and Oklahomy folks says 'em different. And we seen a lady from Massachusetts, an' she said 'em different of all. Couldn’t hardly make out what she was sayin!"
Well, we eventually came to understand the local folks in New England a lot better the longer we lived up that way. After living there over seven years even Ester began to ask, "Are we going in the caw?”
Far more important than the challenges of understanding other people’s languages or working through their particular accent is coming to understand spiritual concepts. The daily verse was a part of Isaiah's call and is twice repeated by Jesus and once by the apostle Paul. It describes a spiritual condition common to the human race.
Most of us are abundantly exposed to spiritual truths. However Paul makes the following assertion following his citing of the verse: "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them" (Acts 28:27).
Does this not describe our world today? What about you? Have you understood with your heart, turned and received His spiritual healing? I sure hope so! If not, why not do so today.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily Prayer: Father, help our ears to be alert, our eyes to be open, and our hearts perceptive as we follow in Your ways. May we be eager to hear Your teaching and apply it to our lives so that we may be found blameless before You and experience the joy You give to those who follow Your commands. When Your meaning is clear help us to seek no other meaning to satisfy our own desires or to change the clear meaning of Your message. Align our desires with Your own, that we might find genuine peace and wholehearted obedience as You bring spiritual healing to our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Chaplain Stephen and Brooksyne Weber serve with Transport for Christ. Click here to contact the Webers.
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