Just Listen.

We as people under estimate the power we have when we take time to sit down and show another that we care. Engaging with people about their lives is a key that unlocks the gates people put around their hearts. We all love to talk about ourselves, we all love to be asked questions about our children, our families, our dogs and cats. So why then do we find ourselves asking the question of what can we do to show people love? One of the greatest lessons I have learned in the weeks I spent in Thailand and Cambodia was the beautiful simplicity of reaching someone elses heart. People want to be heard, they want to know that what they say has meaning and value. To love is too see a person in the eyes of God , to see them as a treasure, and to extend that love is to simply invest, dig deep into their heart with no agenda besides they are worth it, simply to ask, simply to be there when they pour their heart out to you, simply to let them cry on your shoulder and to cry with them. Sharing the love of Jesus can look like so many different things, but often times we can forget that it can also look like asking someone how their day really was, and taking the time to sit down and listen. We are caught up in what should we say, how should we say it, how to become better at speaking, when most of us need to learn how to become better listeners. We open up to God because we know that we can trust Him, we know that He will not turn a blind eye or ignore what is on our hearts. We come to God because we know He will always listen to us, that He is never to busy to hear what we have to say. As Christians we are called to represent who God is, and so then what kind of picture of God are we painting if we are too busy to listen to those who are crying out? There is so much power when we silence ourselves long enough to hear another person share their story. We can learn so much from listening to those we are trying to reach. If I were to challenge you I suppose I would say take the time to listen to those around you, invest, engage, take initiative to know their hearts, and this goes for anyone you meet. Everyone is loved equally by God, everyone has a story, and everyone deserves to be heard. Will you be the one to listen?