Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life

"Real listeners notice. They pay attention." But how do we become real listeners and to what do we listen? In Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, Keri Kent takes us on a journey through several forms of listening: listening to our own hearts and desires, listening to others, and listening to God through His Spirit, His people, His Word. She presents listening to others as a ministry, and distinguishes between merely practicing listening techniques and actually becoming a better listener. As Keri explains: "To truly listen, we must set aside our own junk--selfishness, neediness, overwhelming desire to interrupt with `that reminds me of what happened to me!'" Listening is costly. But so is love, and listening well is a huge part of loving well. And when it comes to listening to God, Keri makes a significant point: "Knowing the Scriptures can guard us against putting words in God's mouth. What God is telling us and what we want God to say can sometimes be two different things. If we listen to the Bible, we'll recognize God's voice among the many that shout for our attention." With refreshing candor, she reveals a truth overlooked by many: "If we spend time listening to MTV or reading People magazine, that's what we are meditating on, even if we don't think of it as meditating. If we repeatedly hear something, our mind will retain it. Think of how many song lyrics you've memorized, simply by hearing songs on the radio. Meditation begins with repetition, to think about something, even on a subconscious level. And that is what will shape our souls and thoughts, even our actions... What we focus on and think about, even passively, affects us. Ultimately, it forms us." Listen speaks truth, encouragement, and challenge to both new and seasoned travelers who earnestly seek the narrow path.

It's rare that I pick up a book and I'm drawn in from the first paragraph (of the Introduction!) but I was. Keri's book is timely, insightful, and thoughtful. We all need to stop and to listen to the voice of our Savior and to rediscover why we call ourselves believers.

Why is the spiritual discipline, listening, one that can be so transforming and life-changing? Keri Wyatt Kent's book, Listen, will take you gently through a deeper understanding of how to focus on hearing God. Her readable style captures your attention and prepares your heart for the deeper spiritual truths. Practical application ideas are woven into each chapter bringing hope for true change and spiritual growth. Keri helps the reader explore a few practices: silence, reading scripture, and prayer. "The goal is to open up space for God--a space where you can be with him, to really listen so that your life will be changed in ways you couldn't change it yourself. Listening puts aside our self-preoccupation and puts the focus where it should be--on God."

"Can you hear me now?" That is a question that we frequently hear in this world of vast communications which includes, cordless phones, cell phones, e-mails, just to name a few. In the midst of this, Keri Wyatt Kent poses some profound questions: "What if I could listen, not just to get good at a skill but for the purpose of transforming my life and relationships? What would happen to you as a person if you knew that you were heard, and loved, and that you had the ability to love, and listen to others?" Thus begins the invitation to listen, to find God in the story of our lives. Keri Wyatt Kent, in her thought-provoking book, listen, challenges the reader to listen "so that you can take who you are and put it into what you do." She models through her writing her personal and honest experiences and shares how to practice listening through silence, scripture and prayer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with God and experience the transforming power of love flow through their lives. Accept the invitation and...listen.

THANK YOU Keri Wyatt Kent for writing another wonderful book that makes deepening my relationship with God so personal and meaningful! The idea of "listening to God" sounds ultra spiritual, not something that I, a stay at home mom with toddlers at my heels, can do. But in Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, Keri Wyatt Kent shares how to listen to God through your daily experiences, in friendships you encounter, and in times of focused solitude. She provides practical suggestions, using personal examples, scripture, and quotes from other wonderful authors. As with her other books, she provides reflective questions which enable you to internalize what was in each chapter. When reading Listen, you know what it can look like in your own life to listen and discover God's voice. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to deepen their relationship with God.