My Take
DiVoran Lites
Picture from Amazon Books
A teacher once told her class that research shows women need to speak 30,000 words a day. Some of us may do that and way over and some of us may not speak a word all day long. Sometimes in my life I have been more contemplative than talkative, but now I’m older and probably talk too much. Of course, with our Covid quarantine many of us talk less because of the isolation, though we can always get on the phone or write if we need company.
Lately, I’ve been paying attention to the idea of listening more than talking. And the idea has given me room for thought and improvement in my prayer life.
I’ve been reading a National Bestselling Non-Fiction book called Merle’s Door, Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote. The dog Merle shows high intelligence and discernment. He is also well and reasonably trained by Ted, the master he adores, and boy can that dog communicate.
The author learns how the dog is affected by everything around him. Merle uses his tail, eyes, ears, and nose to communicate with his human buddy. Here’s something Ted wrote in the first few pages:
“His deep brown eyes looked at me with luminous appreciation and said, ‘You need a dog, and I’m it.’
Unsettled by his uncanny read of me—I had been looking for a dog for over a year—I gave him a cordial pat and replied, “Good dog.”
His tail beat steadily, and he didn’t move, his eyes still saying, “You need a dog.”
Ted Kerasote is an A1 listener.
Well, come on, I’m ready for my treats.
Thea, my Tuxedo cat, and I have many ways of communication. She likes the sound of my voice and the way my breath smells. Usually, she leads the conversations by tone of meow and tells me what she needs. She has a questioning voice, an emergency voice and a happy voice. She also purrs, to show how happy she is. She strokes my sandals with her cheeks leaving pheromones that broadcast that I am hers.
Lately, I’ve been slowing down my pell-mell personality, and it’s delightful to see, hear, and acknowledge things I would usually have over-looked because of my impatience.
Now I will use that realization to train myself to listen more. One person I must hear from is our Heavenly Father-Jesus Christ-Holy Spirit. For most of the years that I have been a Christian, which is for most of my life, I have not listened to him as well as I might have. I read the Bible and accepted its precepts. I made notes of what other people said I should do and say. I searched my soul and engaged in long sessions of worry/praying to untangle my troubles.
One day I asked our preacher’s sweet wife a question. I’ll always recall how she pointed up with her index finger then arched it down toward her heart. She said, “Ask God and wait to get His answer. He may speak in a still small voice, or illuminate a scripture, or speak through another person or event.
It took many more years for me to even begin to understand her simple explanation. I always thought I should fend for myself in the worry business.
One year we had family problems and day after day and night after night I thought about them and tried to solve them. Then one day I read Isaiah 55:8. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
The light went on. If I wanted God’s point of view I would have to stop thinking about any problem and wait for His answer. It didn’t matter if the problem was large or small. It didn’t matter if the wait was long or short. He illuminated this scripture: “And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures, but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.” James 1:5.”
Believe me, It works, and it makes life more peaceful, and productive.
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
Old Things R New 
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