Sometimes I talk too much. I often remind my kids that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. But, I don't always follow my own advice. More often than not, folks just need a listening ear, but instead of following this logic, I too often try to encourage people with my words, rather than listening to theirs.
My husband is good at talking to people. It's an important part of his job. What my husband does, that I often fail to do, is listen carefully, getting the full story. Then he speaks. He waits and makes sure that he understands the big picture of a person's situation.
Not long ago, I found myself engaged in a conversation with someone who I knew had surgery fairly recently. What I didn't know at the time, however, was the kind of surgery this friend endured. When it was too late, I discovered, thanks to my knowledgeable husband, that it was bladder surgery. My half informed conversation with this person went something like this:
"How have you been since the surgery?"
"Fairly good. In fact, I had a good week, but then had an accident this weekend, kind of setting me back a bit."
Again, being uninformed, I assumed this meant a car accident.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," and then tried to think of comforting words just for her and her situation. "You know, I've had a lot of those and although it's been a while, just remember that it happens to us all." And then I hugged her as if my words of encouragement would soar through her anxious spirit.
At the time, I was glad to be able to give her cheer with my words.
Only now, I wish I would have listened....
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