The first few weeks after arriving in our host country, our days were filled with paperwork, document collecting, searching for a permanent home, and adjusting to cultural norms. 

City life was not quiet. Long after our jet-lagged bedtimes, voices and conversations reverberated off the cement apartment buildings. (Did these people ever sleep?) Intentional listening became our full-time job description as we strove to understand the culture around us.  

We listened to the constant flow of traffic on busy streets. At the corner market, the photography shop, the hardware store, and the medical clinic that treated our daughter’s ear infection, we listened for any clues that might help us decipher the strange new language spoken there. We strained to comprehend as kind individuals spoke to us in broken, heavily accented English.  

After moving into a more permanent place, listening to the sounds around us helped us absorb even more of the culture: dogs barking at all hours of the day and night, sad and soulful fado music, the terrible squeals of neighbors slaughtering a pig next door, and frequent fireworks displays bouncing off cement and tile structures. We leaned hard into church services, trying to comprehend bits and pieces of the worship around us.  

Our landlord spoke no English. Before we began to grasp even a fraction of what she said, September 11th happened. As we arrived home from language lessons, we heard the panic in her rapid words. “Bomba! Nova Iorque!” Following us into our apartment, she chattered rapidly as she pantomimed the importance of turning on the televisao. Our understanding was severely limited as we listened to news about the terror attacks in the United States. 

Eventually, we moved from simply listening to understanding, speaking, and embracing the culture. Reflecting on those early days as global workers, I wonder if I have ever listened as intently to God and His Word. As a Christ follower, listening is still a massive part of my “job description.” Have I committed myself as decidedly to hearing the Word, listening to His Spirit, and embracing the life He has for me? Am I committed daily to studying, understanding, and allowing God's written and spoken Word to change me? 

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, actively and continually obeying God’s precepts, and not merely listeners who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning, deluding yourselves by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth.” James 1:22 (AMP)