Last week Keith, William and I sat on these benches and ate lunch together. It was a clear, breezy day. We listened and talked to each other. We provided William with words of encouragement. Words he never remembered ever being spoken to him. We talked about meeting the basic needs of his family. We talked about meeting their emotional and spiritual needs. We talked about thinking beyond the immediate crises and planning for the future. We talked about how you can't give what you don't got.I talked with William earlier this week. "We're meeting again this Friday, right?" I sensed some anticipation. We will sit on these benches again tomorrow. We will practice listening with ears to hear. We will practice speaking the words of life and light that we hear.
We are not very adept at this. We are not entirely sure how it all works. We need to be taught. That's why we practice and wait for feedback. It's about doing, process and grace. It's about choosing sides. Let's all go practice then we will have something to talk about.
1 comment:
Listening to someone is huge! last night i met an elderly couple and ask how long they had been married, 63years was the reply. I then asked how they met....the man's face lit up! People want to know that someone cares, someone hears, someone is listening. Not just hearing the words but hearing what is behind those words.
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