"I 'W'isten a 'W'ot!" (aka - "I Listen a Lot")

Joshua started kindergarten a few weeks ago and he loves it! Can't you tell by the picture? The only part he does not like is being away from me. (I've trained my boys well!) Last night as we were sitting around the table as a family having dinner, (do not applaud, it doesn't happen as often as we would like, but we try) Joshua began to tell us about his day.

"We have morning news and then we 'w'isten, we go to PE and then we 'w'isten, we have shared journal and then we 'w'isten, we go to lunch and then we 'w'isten. I 'w'isten a 'w'ot."
First of all I must address his adorable speech. I love his little voice and I told Matt and the boys that I never want it to change. To which Matthew replied, "It might sound funny for a 36 year old man to say I 'w'isten a 'w'ot." He is right!
His speech is not really what got my attention though. It was the fact that I realized I do not 'w'isten a 'w'ot. I have this idea that every ounce of air should be filled with noise. (Those of you who know me can stop laughing now!! STOP! And no more AMENS!) Even when I am talking to the Lord, I do not listen. I talk and talk and pray and pray and even pray throughout my day, but listening is harder. It requires silence and being still.

Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
Deuteronomy 30:19b-20 "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. For the Lord is your life."

"If" the Lord is my life (and I believe He is) then why do I not listen? I could come up with a lot of excuses. ( I just forget, I'm too tired, I'm too busy, I have too many little voices around me...) But, the truth is...I have never made it a discipline in my life. Joshua has an awesome, loving, patient, kindergarten teacher and she has taught these children the discipline of listening. I am 36 years old and I am still struggling with this discipline.

My Pappy taught me a poem when I was 2 years old. (I guess I struggled with talking too much and not listening even then.)
"There was a wise old owl who sat in an oak, the more he saw the less he spoke, the less he spoke, the more he heard, don't you wish you were like that wise old bird?"

I have also been told on several occasions, "I listen, but I don't hear anything." or "I listen, but I'm not sure if it is God or my thoughts." Both of these are good questions. What is the answer??
John 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me."
The answer...know your shepherd. The more we know Jesus, the more we are in His Word and the more we pray and listen, the better we will know His voice.

I want to be like that wise old bird, I want to be like my 5 year old son Joshua, I want to know my shepherd's voice. I want to desire the discipline of listening. I pray that I will learn to be silent in the presence of the Lord and receive all that he has for me. I pray that I will learn to 'w'isten a 'w'ot.