Listening...

"...Be quick to listen, slow to speak..." James 1:19

Are you a listener?  Do people find it easy to talk to you?  Do they often pour out the contents of their hearts and fill you in on everything going on in their life?

Do you find joy in listening to others, in being there for them when they need a listening ear?

Listening can be a ministry...

Maybe that stay-at-home, homeschooling mom needs someone older than 9 to talk to occasionally.  Maybe the widow who spends much of her time alone just needs someone to listen to her every now and then.  Maybe the working mom who works away from home all day, and then has to juggle kids, after school activities, homework, and a husband just needs someone she can be real with.

Eventually, everyone needs a listening "ministry".  We all have a desire and a need to be heard...

Lately  I have been thinking about the listeners, those who always seem to be listening to someone else, but never really have the opportunity to share what is on their heart... What about the listeners in our lives?  Do we ever stop and take time to give THEM a listening ear?

I have recently noticed, in several different venues, with varying numbers of people, that the "listeners" sometimes do not get listened to... They get to do plenty of listening, they get to express care and concern, and then... nothing.  They are not asked about their life, their family, or how things are going.  They frequently do not get the opportunity to be listened to... I am pretty sure that there are times when they need someone to listen to them...

Now, I do not believe this is in any way intentional.  I think our world is so busy, with everyone running from this event to that meeting and back to this event and then off to another meeting, that we often do not slow down enough to listen to those who listen to us. We rattle off all that is going through our hearts and minds, and without even realizing we have done all the talking and no  listening,  we run off to the next thing.

I just wonder... do the listeners in our lives leave gatherings and get togethers feeling empty,
lonely, and as if no one is interested in their life or cares about them.  Do they leave times of fellowship, which are meant to renew and refresh, feeling depleted and sucked dry.

Let's take time to listen to those who listen to us... They just may be going through some hard stuff and need a listening ear!

But also remember, if you are a "listener", and you can not find anyone to listen to you when you most need a listening ear, our Heavenly Father in Heaven is always listening:

"You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; 

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry."  

Psalm 10:17