Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Even though I have received an occasional compliment about being a good listener, I have floundered about aimlessly just as often. As humans, most of us are born with the skill of hearing. But not with the skill of being a good listener.
The cold hand of fear twisted my gut. I know Janice won’t kill me. Well, probably not. But I didn’t want anyone in the garden, and I suspected that she was going to throw a fit if she couldn’t make $10.
I’ve been thinking a lot about listening recently. If you’ve been on the home page of my website, you’ve seen the new graphics that capture
Want a great Fourth of July table conversation? Try fun food talk. My sister sent me a book for my birthday called Food Listography. It is filled with empty pages with titles like these.
After I sat down, I saw transformation in Janice. Even though I did not have work for her and gave her no money, she began to talk to me about life. I could see in her eyes that she felt valued by me. We were now just two people sitting on a porch.
I replay many of these scenes through my head, wondering if I did the wrong thing. But the bottom line is that, if I am going to remain friends with Janice, I need to be honest with her. A lot of people share advice on beggars, but I often wonder if they actually live in a neighborhood where these same beggars are friends who they actually love and care about. (I’m not talking about the feedback you gave in the comments on last week’s post. I found that helpful and challenging.)
