Day of Listening

The tone of this prayer may sound harsh, but that's not the intent. I am passionate about a key element to all relationships...listening! What has happened to our society that we don't take time to hear each other any more? I don't understand. At some point in our lives, we learned about effective listening whether at home, during school, in church, etc. We know we should open our ears and close our mouths, yet our self importance gets the best of us. We already formulate what we're going to say to each other before the other person has ever finished speaking. What kind of respect does this show the other person? What kind of message does that send to the speaker of our view of what they're saying? How does this demonstrate any care or concern for each other?

I hate speaking of my strengths (I'd rather focus on my areas of improvement) for fear of losing sight of humility. However, I will contend I'm a pretty good listener. I certainly have fallen victim to interrupting or disengaging from a conversation due to lack of interest. Yes, I have even arrogantly drawn conclusions as to what I'm going to receive (you know what the infamous "they" say about assuming...). But, for the most part, I think I'm pretty respectful to others and listen to them. Because I try to make a concerted effort to be an effective listener, I'm equally peeved when others do not listen to me. What has caused us not to respect others with our silence?

Is it technology? Has this supposed advancement left us so disengaged from real communication we have become "dumb" to the basic premise that you actually show interest in what is shared by others? Has this "me" society skewed our thinking so far as to believe only our words matter and we don't have to bother ourselves with the thoughts and opinions for others? No wonder communication is one of the overarching issues in relationships today.

If you need an example to follow, think about how God listens. Yes, a person might argue it's a one-sided conversation; He has to listen. But, I disagree wholeheartedly. God doesn't have to do anything. He could tune out our whiny, selfish pleas for trivial things we desire. He could have created us and then expected us to fend for ourselves. But, He doesn't and didn't. He listens, answers, and guides. If we already tune each other out in our human interactions, how on earth are we going to hear any of God's answers and guidance. Not to sound hateful, but people let's shut our mouths and start listening to one another!

Day 99: Heavenly Father, thank you for demonstrating not only through your own interaction with me, but also through Your Son how to be an effective listener. Thank you for answering my prayers in the past as a "verification" You are listening. Thank you for hushing my voice when I need to be opening my ears.

Lord, help us! We are making a mess of things in our relationships. For all the good I see in the world, I also witness us destroying our interactions because we fail to hear each other. I don't know if it's Satan feeding off our weakness against pride and selfishness, it's our lack of will power to withstand the urge to "prove we're the only ones worth hearing," or it's simply our laziness not wanting to be bothered with others.

Father God, what can I do? How can I help others understand what we are doing to each other? Can I teach others simply by action or is that enough? Just as your Son pointed out injustice, should I vocally call out others when they don't listen? I fear we've become such a politically correct, kumbaya, everyone gets a ribbon society, my willingness to draw others' attention (respectfully) to the need for improved listening skills will be accepted as harsh criticism and considered antagonistic. Father, if they only knew I have a genuine desire for us to be demonstrating your love in all interactions would they know my intent comes from good, not from arrogance. I ask for your wisdom and direction in this area. I fear for the success of relationships lacking effective listening. I trust and await your guidance.

I love you.

Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/104427285082262156/

Day of Deserving

I've been debating with myself (as long as I don't answer, I'm okay, right?) on this topic for a couple of weeks now. Often, I indicate in my prayers with God how undeserving I am for His grace, but thankful He gives it to me anyway. But, I've been pondering whether or not I should say I am undeserving. God created me. He knew me before my mother knew me. He knew I would be riddled with sin before I even made my first mistake. He gave me life and loves me. Despite all my imperfections (and there are MANY), He said I was worth it to Him. So, should I say I am undeserving if God himself said "Child, I love you anyway?" Or, should I say I am deserving and thankful for His love despite the many ways I fall short.

Let's take the topic down from His upper story for a moment and consider your relationship with your children (for those who do not have children, think about your relationship with your parents or those to whom you lean for parental guidance and love). Would you want to hear from your children that they think they are undeserving of the countless times you've continued loving them even when they make mistakes? Would you want your children to feel they are undeserving of your love? Would you want your children to know they deserve your unconditional love because they are your children? This doesn't mean they should not be thankful, should not try to follow the rules, and should not take you for granted. It means they are deserving of your love and you grant them grace when they make mistakes. Sound familiar? 

Day 89: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me this awesome chance at a life close to you. Thank you for providing me free will to come to you to fill the empty void versus making me a God robot.

Lord, how should we receive your love? You know I love you and am thankful for your grace. Should my thanksgiving be in joyous celebration because you believed I was worth everything, even the loss of your Son? Or, should my thanksgiving be in relief that despite my many flaws, you grant me grace. It seems to me the first parallels more closely with the human parent-child relationship. Does it matter? Perhaps, for some to remain humble to your grace and love, they must consider themselves undeserving for fear pride and arrogance would make an appearance in the relationship if they viewed themselves deserving of your love. Perhaps to others, such as myself, knowing you view me as deserving helps me extend your love to others, even those who may not "deserve" it from a worldly perspective.

Father God, how extraordinary it is to ponder the dynamics of our relationship by way of prayer. I am thankful for this venue to share my thoughts with you and await your wisdom in all facets of my life. Thank you for providing an open and honest relationship with you. Thank you for allowing me to ask questions without fear of ridicule. Thank you for always revealing your answers in your time, as it is always the right time.

I love you.

Source: http://doseofencouragement.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/love-love-and-more-love/