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An Everyday Expression of Hope and Its Potential

An Everyday Expression of Hope 

Listening…A Lost Art

January 15, 2019 by John Hembree Leave a Comment

Listening

In the book, The Lost Art Of Listening, by Michael P. Nichols, PhD, Dr. Nichols, writes, “To listen is to pay attention, take an interest, care about, take to heart, validate, acknowledge, be moved…appreciate. “

Dr. Nichols goes on to write, “Listening is in fact so central to human existence as to often escape notice; or, rather, it appears in so may guises that it is seldom grasped as the overarching need that it is.”

He: “You are not listening to me.”

She: “Yes I am.”

He: “Then what did I just say?”

She: “This is ridiculous. You just said, ‘You are not listening to me.’  Before that, I am not quite sure.”

He: “Exactly.”

We might consider the roles reversed, the man not listening and the woman becoming frustrated.

In this case it was just the opposite.

Proving, we all, need to become better listeners.

I have in the past, began a conversation, both by phone and in person, this way.

“Just talk to me.  I don’t care what you say, just talk to me.”

I do enjoy listening.

What purpose is served if one takes the time to speak and another does not take the time to listen?

Consider this in times of prayer.

What if we talked, talked, talked to God and never listened.

How would we ever learn His purposes and direction for our life?

What if God talked, talked, talked to us and never listened.

How would He ever know our heart as we poured it out to Him?

Fortunately, God knows us inside and out.

Maybe even more fortunate, for us?

God is a fantastic listener.

It is by listening that any of us, understand the heart and needs of one another.

“And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will.”  1 John 5:14 (TLB)

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