April 25, 2019
People love to talk. In fact, most people will listen to a person talk only long enough to get a chance to cut in and make the conversation about themselves. I think that’s why I like writing so much. I get to say what is on my mind without interruption. We have lost the art of true communication.
I was part of a life group for many years. Several of us met every Sunday night to share a short lesson and then we could talk about things with which we were struggling and pray for each other. One time we did a marriage study and one of the lessons had us go off with our significant other to do some listening exercises. One person would start by answering a question, while the other listened to the response without interruption. The other person could not respond until the first was completely done. It was really hard.
I would like to think of myself as a good listener. I even did some training in college to be part of the “Listening Post” at our campus ministry group. But, I admit, it is difficult to listen to others when I have so much going on in my own head.
At the school where I work, my students know they can talk to me when they need someone to listen to them. We even have a designated chair. Sometimes when my students arrive in the morning, I can tell right away that they need “the chair.” Some of them need the chair more than once in a day. I feel it’s really important that each person has someone in whom they can confide.
Just as it is important to listen to others when they talk, it is equally important that we share our stories with others. When Paul and Timothy were imprisoned, they told their story to others and it advanced the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:12). In Acts, Paul tells of his journey through Damascus and his encounter with Christ to King Agrippa. He spoke truth even though it could have dire consequences for him. Christ tells Paul directly, “ . . . get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26: 16-18).
Some of us are so afraid to share about our past mistakes, but we need to realize that how we dealt with a tragic event or a bad decision could help point others to Christ. The best example I have seen of this is when we have our women’s retreats. Women who may or may not have known each other before the weekend starts put their walls down and become bold prayer warriors. Because we feel safe in the cabin, women share their deepest, most intimate secrets and bring them to light. Darkness cannot exist where there is light. It is only when we are too ashamed to share our past that we allow the enemy to hold us ransom.
Our story might be the key to unlock someone else’s prison. As we continue to listen to each other and share our own stories, my hope is that we will learn to recognize where God was in the story. Not all of us can be as lucky as Paul and have Christ speak our purpose to us directly, but with time, we can learn to recognize his still, small voice. It is also important to have people who walk this journey of life alongside of us. I think that is what I miss the most about Tad. I could tell him anything. He already knew my past; so, I didn’t have to give the entire background story before I could tell him the latest installment in my drama. Luckily, I still have some really great friends with whom I can share.
The Sunday Girl 