I love stories about the royal family and one of their most prized character qualities is timeliness. They are known to arrive and depart from all appointments and events on time. But apparently there was one glaring exception to that rule.

It happened on January 27, 2005. It was the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the German labor camp in Auschwitz. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth had invited a number of survivors to a reception at St. James Palace.

Obviously, each survivor had a unique story to share. And their sharing took longer than expected. But instead of cutting them off or skipping someone, the Queen very uncharacteristically sat there and listened intently to each and every story. Her listening like that was a profound act of humility and a kind gift to each survivor.

Listening is that important.

You and I need to listen to each other. Parents desperately need to give time to their children and genuinely listen to their sweet prattle. Spouses need to heed the words and the intents behind the words of their loved one. Folks at work need to clue in to their co-workers and “give them the time of day.”

But even more importantly, we need to listen to the Lord. Not surprisingly, the key Old Testament verses for the Jewish nation (and for us) begin in Deuteronomy 6:4 with the injunction, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

The word “hear” is the well-known Hebrew word, “shema.” And it means so much more than just “pay attention” or “turn up your earing aide, ma’am.” It carries the idea of acknowledging what you hear and obeying what it says.

We need to listen with more than our cochlea organ and auditory nerve endings. We need to “listen” with our eyes, “listen” with our minds and “listen” with our heart.

So, this week might be a great opportunity for us all to find a quiet spot and sit still. The silence and the stillness will help us focus our minds and hearts so we can really listen to what the Lord might have to say.

Just like Samuel in I Samuel 3:10, let’s tell Him, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening…”