You're listening to Encounter, a simple daily podcast to help you find the sacred in

the ordinary.

We have 100 meditation episodes on this podcast, but if you want to listen for free to the

entire library of 500, I encourage you to download the encountering piece mobile app where

all the meditations are free as they should be.

Where do you normally listen to Encounter?

Most tell me it's at home in the morning, in bed, resting in the peaceful quiet of sunrise.

But even there, you're surrounded by softly whispered noises, aren't you?

Really no matter where you are, the sounds of the world or even the sounds within your

mind can be a distraction.

You may hear the words, but are you listening to them?

Hearing simply happens when sound falls on your ear.

Listening, however, is something you choose to do.

Listening requires concentration to process meaning from what you hear.

Well this meditation from Matthew chapter 11 is about listening.

Hearing the sounds of the world and listening for their meaning, hearing the reverberations

of God's creation and listening for their substance, listening for the significance of

what you hear.

So to begin, whether blanketed in the soft whispers of the morning or the echoes of the evening,

allow the next 15 minutes to be a retreat to contemplate and listen for God.

As your eyes begin to close without effort, center on this place of surrender for a still

moment, as time of yielding, and a prayer of listening to the presence of God, spirit,

...