Are you a good listener? Something to think about this holiday season...

Close lips.
Lean forward.
Calm the mind.
Hush.
Two ears.
One mouth.
Stop judging.
See beyond.
Listen.

Are any of us really good at listening? Don’t we all spend our time thinking of the next thing to say, how to respond, letting our minds wander? Do we ever really care when we ask “how’s it going?”

I have often thought that I’m a great listener, but I’m not so sure. I have been known to have  trouble being sympathetic. Often times I want to say, “Well, of course you ended up here. That is the logical conclusion of your choices.” You know what, though? The person probably already knows that. He or she just needs me to listen to the emotion and the process.

Listening is hard. I want to offer solutions. I want to cut to the chase or solve the problem.
But what if I have no answers? What if my role is simply to be there while the person does their own thinking and talking? What if they don't want my opinion?

Maybe if I stop expecting myself to be perfect, then I’ll stop expecting it of others and they’ll stop expecting it of me. We can all just listen to Christ instead.

That’s who I really need to be listening to anyway. How about you? Something to think about this Christmas season...