Back in the day when railroads first came onto the scene, the railroads would post signs at crossings that read “Stop, Look and Listen.” The idea was to get a person to stop at the crossing, look both ways and then listen as an extra precaution. Why? Because it just might stop you from walking in front of a train, the results of which are never good.
Every morning I try to read the daily Mass readings and a reflection on them. If I don’t have time to read them I try to listen to a podcast of them (Great app here). I noticed the other day that many times when I do this, I am not really paying full attention, I am usually doing at least one other thing at the same time. Maybe checking email, listening to the news (on Catholic radio of course). (Yes I sometimes listen to other radio but honestly I really do get fed up with the mainstream media, but that is for another post on another day.) I notice when I am done, I hardly remember what I read, sometimes I cant even remember what the reading was.
In today’s world we spend all day “multitasking”, distracted by all the gadgets we just have to have. We have been sold on the fact that our lives are so much easier and better now that we have cell phones, laptops, notebooks, iPhones, and on and one. Do all these things really make out lives better? I say no, they only make our lives more stressful. Is that email really that important? The text? The tweet? The Facebook post?
As C.S. Lewis writes in “The Screwtape Letters
” talking about Hell:
“…no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to…(music and silence) We will make the whole universe a noise in the end.” – C.S. Lewis “Screwtape Letters, Chapter 22
Satan wants to fill our world with noise, noise so we can’t hear God talking to us, noise so we don’t have time to think about Him, noise so we don’t have time to reflect. Noise and distraction is what Satan wants. He wants to keep us from God. Which brings us back to the railroad sign.
We need to Stop, Look and Listen. We need to take time to stop everything and look around us, listen to the quiet, and try to find God. Look around at all He has giving us. Here in New England our leaves have completed their annual color change from green, to oranges, yellows and reds, how many noticed? Did any of us stop to take the time to look at them and appreciate this miraculous change or did you only think “I don’t have time to rake all these up”? Have you shut everything down and just listened? Do you hear God talking to you or only Satan and his minions?
We need to take time to “Stop. Look and Listen” every day. Look around and be thankful for what you have, believe me there are plenty of people out there who have more problems than you do or who are struggling more than you are. Take the time to listen to God, He speaks to us in very many ways, but we won’t hear unless we listen.
Stop, Look and Listen or you just might get hit by a train.
Looking for more great Catholic reading? Wait, I am not saying my writing is great, that certainly wouldn’t be humble. Check out these links:
Learn about the Heroic Minute here
The Wayward Catholic 
Thanks so much for linking to the Heroic Minute! Great advice about needing to Stop! It is so easy to get bombarded in 2014. I envy my grandmother who existed with no devices of any kind and still managed to have more wisdom than anyone I have ever known!
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I have been trying to keep my prayer time, quiet, You are so right about all the distraction and “noise” which can be tempting us away from knowing God and His will for us each day.
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~ Socrates
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