Hearing vs Listening

I've been sick for the last few days. I went to the doctor today to see if I had strep throat. My nephew found out Friday that he had it. So I thought better safe than sorry. Thank God that the test came back negative. So nope, no strep throat! YEAH!!! Yesterday,I was feeling pretty icky. And after staying home, stuck inside for three days wanting get out but, not go to far (okay I live out in the boom docks, 30 min. from town). So I went to the mail box. LOL!! Praise the Lord! I got Mail!!! Not just bills and junk mail. I got mail from my friends. I love getting mail. It's like Christmas everyday. One of my friends sent me a card and wrote down some scripture verses. What a blessing it was to me! Some may say it was just mere coincidences. But I believe it's totally a God thing. He knows what I need even before I need it. God knew I need encouragement. This reminded me of a scripture in Psalms 120:1 "In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me." I know that HE hears my cries... of discouragement... of pain... of hunger... of being weary... being lonely... of being sick and tired of being sick and tired...
The greatest thing I think that is about God's Word here is that HE HEARS. I don't know about your grandmother but, my grandmother was and is one of the wisest women I know. Though I didn't always understand what she was trying to say. When I was a child she would say to me, "you're not hearing me, child". I would reply, "Yes, Ma'am. I am listening". "No, hon. You may be listening but you ain't hearing me". I always thought she was just talking southern. LOL! But really she was telling me that I wasn't hearing her. I was listening to the words coming out of her mouth and they were going right out the other side. God doesn't just listen to our aches, pains, heartaches... HE HEARS. He feels our pain, aches, heartaches with us. After this I realized that He was hearing me. I knew this before but, some lessons you have to just learn again. But that is the same way that we should HEAR GOD. Are we just listening to HIM and HIS WORD? Letting it all go in one ear and out the other or are we really HEARING what GOD has to say? He knows the things you are struggling with. The loss of your child, no children, negative test again, everyone pregnant around you, bills unpaid, laid-off, sick again, family fights... He knows it all, He hears it all. The next scripture that comes to mind is "Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
I think that will be for the next entry. God's Peace.