"...Therefore take care how you listen.  For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him"
Luke 8:18

"Stay with me.  Hang in there.  It's going to make sense in a few more minutes." 
It's the endless teacher's refrain, looking out on frustrated faces and books slammed shut.  In the middle of a half page math problem, some of them just give up.  Others insist they already know it; they have no need of my help.  But some, just keep struggling.   They write and erase, they question and correct, in short, they listen; until they suddenly, explosively get it.  

I remember that feeling to this day, from a high school physics class, when all the straggling threads suddenly came together in a whole I couldn't even explain how I knew.  It's the greatest joy of teaching to see my students experience that.  But I can't take them there.  I can present my lessons, I can guide and prompt, but only they can decide to try.  Only they can decide to listen.

In trials and in blessings, what will I decide?