Listen! Just listen. I am going to improve my listening skills. I feel like I am a good listener. But after watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, I realized how much weight is in silence. I want to be silent more as I listen. Makes sense, but I don’t do it. Before the person finishes their sentence, I have started responding. Now I want to pause.
As I have started to practice this, just a little. I realized how quickly I switched from listening to thinking of my response. As soon as I got a taste of what they were saying, I switched my focus to me. As I paused, I truly heard what was being said. I stayed focused on them the whole time they were talking. I could feel their emotions. Then in the silence, I thought about my response.
I have also realized that God’s wisdom is often below the surface. When I react with words, they are only my words. But if I pause. If I allow silence. Then when I talk the words are filled with God’s wisdom.