Be A Listener Today

Do you ever wish someone would really listen to you? Have you ever started telling a friend or family member something that you thought was important and they didn't hear you out before they were distracted? Recently I had an idea that I wanted to share with someone, and as I started to tell her she was momentarily distracted by something else in the environment. I waited a moment to see if she would begin the conversation again by telling me to go on, but she never did. In fact, it was like I had never said anything. It has happened more than once and with many people, and I am finding myself more often than not letting the conversation just die. Each time I feel rejected even thought the listener didn't mean to hurt me.
As some of you know I took the training to become a Stephen Minister and one entire module is devoted to the art of listening. There was some great teaching and tools in the module, but there was one thing that could not be overcome with a short cut, and that was that listening is an active process that requires personal involvement, commitment and patience. In other words, listening is work. After finishing the training and beginning with care receivers, I realized just how true that was. I had to focus and pay attention and fight the wanderings of my mind and the noise of the environment. It was much like reading a heavy tome on religious thinking of instead of a Christian romance. It took effort, but with time I could listen more effectively. In Stephen Ministry it was part of my ministry, but what about in my daily living? I find I fail often. Listening is definitely a need in our world today, but if that need can't be met by strangers, family, or friends, then we still have the greatest listener sitting waiting to hear every word, every idea, every dream, every comment, or anything at all that we want to express. Jesus knew everything, but it didn't stop Him from listening to the people around Him. We have that same option today, and I have found that God is a two way communicator and great listener. He never fails me and He takes my ideas, my dreams, my thoughts, etc. and He listens and He responds. So, I am learning to feel less rejected and am turning to Him who can meet this need as well as all my other needs. Even so, He doesn't remove the responsibility we as believers each have to listen to our fellow sojourners. I guess what I am asking each of us today is to simply practice better listening whenever we can so that God can use us to help someone else by just simple listening.

"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace
and the things by which one may edify another."
Romans 14:19