I think back on my adventures (as I like to call them) with my friend Kevin and I wonder why I am his friend? It might be for entertainment. We certainly have had some interesting times. I think about the time the brakes went out on the feed truck (well, it was just one brake and it kind of exploded) while pulling a stock trailer and heading down hill at 50 miles per hour. Or there was the time I forgot to put the jack up on the trailer, and we drove a good distance with it dragging on the pavement with us oblivious to the scraping noise it made on the pavement.

Possibly one of the best (non-life threatening or completely comical but definitely embarrassing) occasions was when Kevin was building his house. I had told him I would help him by overseeing the contractors and running after materials for him. I got to know several of his contractors and even used some when I built my house. Kevin was lining up his brick mason to put the brick and stone on the house. We had driven outside of Bokoshe to meet the guy he was thinking of using. We pulled up in the driveway of a new house. There was a Hispanic man and his helper putting up brick on the front porch of the house. Kevin and I went over and began talking with him. Introductions were made. Then we moved on to the talking about the job of laying brick at Kevin’s new house–when he could start, the cost per 100 brick and then some small talk.

Just a typical event in a typical day. That is what I thought. You see the gentleman’s first name was PACO. The problem was I heard, “TACO.”

So a couple weeks later the bricklayer shows up to start work, and I proceed in calling him TACO, everyday…for about two weeks…and he never corrects me! To make matters worse, Kevin’s dad was coming by, and I soon had him calling the very nice fellow Taco, also.

After about two weeks, Kevin is working at the house with me and his dad. His dad referred to the bricklayer as Taco. Finally Kevin says, “Daddy, why do you keep calling him Taco?” His dad responded, “Well that’s his name, isn’t it?” “NO! His name is Paco. Where did you get Taco?” Kevin asked. “Well, the Preacher told me!”

Yep, that’s right, he threw me right under the bus! Kevin looked and me and laughed and said, “His name is Paco! Have you been calling him that this whole time?” “Yep, it’s what I heard,” I responded feeling like an idiot. Then the laughter started. Well everyone but his dad and I.

I told my wife about it and she laughs. My daughter finds out about it and she and my wife both laugh. My motherin- law finds out and now all three girls laugh. I’m pretty sure everyone my wife has told…laughs.

We are driving through Owasso about five years later and drive past a Mexican restaurant close to the Ram water tower and what is the name (drum roll)… Uncle Paco’s Tacos! This caused much laughter every time we go by.

The really bad part is that I honestly believed that was his name, Taco. I thought some parent just had a cute sense of humor. But to my chagrin, they did not. I just did not listen closely enough to pick up on the exact pronunciation.

Before you laugh too hard or judge me, beware. We often do this to God. We hear His word taught and/or preached and we don’t always get the whole message. We hear what we want to hear or hear a portion of it then we assume we know the rest and off we run.

Sometimes we don’t hear all of the message or hear it clearly because of the outside interference or our attention is not fully on the message. Then there are times when we are zoned out and nod our heads or will acknowledge the message with an mmmmhhhhmmmm. (And in reality we haven’t got a clue.)

Moses learned this as a hard lesson when God told him to speak to the rock for water to flow, and he struck it instead. It cost him entrance into the Promised Land. Abraham and Lot had to split ways. Lot listened to his heart and chose to go east and became an eye witness to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Israelites listened to each other and the Philistines about Goliath and cowered. David came and conquered the giant!

To wrap it up, listen closely and it could save you some embarrassment, disappointment, disaster and heartache!

Listening Closer, Bro. Tim