Lending Your Ears.

What does it mean to truly listen?
I recently met with a lifelong friend of mine — somebody I know better than anyone else, have experienced more of life with than anyone else. We shared headline versions of the most recent happenings in our lives between bites and sips, we laughed, we challenged one another in our thought processes.
I got home that evening and my wife asked, “so how was it? what did you guys talk about?” . . .
I was able to recount the details of our conversation, yet, somehow, I felt as though (due to distraction of the noise level of the place, the need to scour the menu in order to appease the server, etc.) I was never able to fully engage the conversation with undivided attention.
Having heard his heart it saddens me that I didn’t have the heart of Christ in the moment to fully listen.
I realize that listening, with edge-of-your-seat expectation, is one of the greatest gifts we can give a loved one. Value time in their presence, show them their value and worth by letting everything else fade to the background.
Simple gifts like these receive a higher appraisal of worth than any other.
From my heart to yours.
