Monday Morning Manna: Days of Old

One of my all-time favorite things to do was sit on my grandfather’s front porch and listen to him recall his “days of old.” He talked of friendships, missed opportunities, family members, and as always, advice (based on his many years of experience). Isaiah must have been getting old. “Then he remembered the days of old” (Isaiah 63:11). That’s what happens when you get old – you remember “the days of old.” My days of old have outnumbered my days of now, and I find myself wishing I had someone who loved listening to my “days of old” as much as I loved listening to my grandfather’s. The current generation needs to learn that in order to connect, you have to disconnect; in order to listen, you need to look. In the days of old, you had eye contact during a conversation; the person listening, wasn’t looking down at a device in their hands. We’ve become so focused on that tiny screen that we’ve forgotten the big picture, the people to whom we are listening. In addition, I’ve discovered many people listen only as a time to think of what they can say next, when next should be a time to listen further. Will Rogers once said, “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” Enough! I feel much better having gotten this out of my system. Thanks for listening – I mean reading.

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford