Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Talk about teamwork among neighbors! Soon, we had a twenty foot wooden ladder propped against the culprit tree, with a Hispanic man with a limited English vocabulary comfortably balanced on its top.
None of these things were about Amish cooking or Amish romance novels or Amish witchcraft. After the pressures, politics, and hypocrisy of Washington, Tom found the Amish to be authentic Christian people living out their beliefs, and they changed his life.
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.
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.)
