When not listening actually is preferred

I'm a big fan of listening. I like to listen to music, good preaching, entertaining stories and almost anything my family has to say.

But sometimes you don't want to listen...especially to the little voice inside your head that plants doubts and "what-ifs." More about that later.

There are times when you just feel like you were created for the moment. I believe, for instance, that Babe Ruth was created to play baseball for the New York Yankees during the roaring 1920s. He simply embodied the carefree, anything goes lifestyle of the era. He had a big face, a big cigar and a big ego that matched his big appetite for fun and heroics.

Likewise, I feel like I was created to win the speech contest tomorrow in Deadwood. My speech, first of all, is pretty good. It makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you think....all within the seven-minute time frame.

Then there's me...a guy who has perfected the conversational style of speaking. I may not be the best looking guy or gal on the dais, but I look like someone you could be friends with, and I have a non-threatening appearance. Perhaps even lovable, like a cuddly teddy bear.

Still, there's a little voice in me that says, "What if....what if there is someone who's even written a better speech and has the charisma of John Kennedy, Junior!"

That's when you have to be the master of not listening to the little voice. Instead, you have to listen to your big voice....the one that says, "You can do it. In fact, this is nothing compared to the challenges you've already faced an overcome in glorious fashion. You were created for this moment in time. Pity the others because you are the master, the kahuna!"

Dare I say it...a part of me has been wondering for the last couple of weeks if my niece Janelle's car accident and her subsequent recovery isn't God's way of setting me up for the greatest speech of my life. Time will tell.

But when it comes to listening, sometimes not listening is just as important.