Thursday, December 22, 2011

Listening, communicating and relationships...


So, most men have a great ability to pretend they are listening while they are watching television or doing something else. Most ladies have a great ability to share what's on their mind right in the middle of that important television event, game or hobby that the man is involved in. The mix here is a great example of missed communication and the need to pay attention to one another and we all fail in that, and we all get upset with one another as we miss the important comment or question that was stated/asked. 
I have the privilege of working with over 150 children and teens, in my church, from age 9 through 18 and I love it, but I've learned that most every child this age is a “man” when it comes to listening, and they don't listen or hear anything, and I mean anything. They forget every announcement, every time for each event that's coming up, and they will ask multiple times for the details again, and again and again. They have learned to act like they listen, but they are truly just focused on their own interests at that moment. 
Both of these are sad, because we miss some of the best times in life, when we don't listen and we don't communicate. My children remind me of this as they try to fight for my attention and get me to talk to them or listen to them as they share with me (that sounded really bad, but sometimes we have to realize how bad it is). What a horrible fail it is when I miss the opportunity to spend time with my children and listen and talk to them. I started by blaming men and then children and teens for not listening, but really, every lesson like this should be directed at me and not at blaming others. 
Lessons Learned: I only have a limited number of relationships in life and they will diminish if I don't treat them as important to life. 
Thoughts: What did you say? How often do you say that?

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