Kissed by the Spirit

“Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Hebrews 12:14 (RSV)

This scripture in Hebrews tells us to strive for peace with “all men”not just our friends. We are to strive for holiness, without which, “no one will see the Lord.” These words are not meant to leave us in fear, but rather to be motivational, to inspire and stimulate us to make holiness a priority, so that we may live in peace, prepared for the coming of the Lord. 

Since we live in very contentious times, with so much of conflict, division, and hatred often turning into violence, there is a great need in the world for peace, but peace can only come with forgiveness. If we think about it, peace really is the result of both forgiving and being forgiven, which is where holiness comes in. 

The word sanctify means to make holy, which is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, yet hardly at all in the Old Testament. Jesus is the reason for the difference. He now lives in us, by His Holy Spirit, and sanctifies us, giving us the ability to forgive and be His peacemaking people. 

Believing in Jesus has a far deeper purpose than having a “Get out of Hell free” pass. He forgives us in order to make us more like Him, a Spirit filled project of holiness that takes a lifetime. We are told that the God of peace sanctifies our spirit, soul and body, for the day of His return. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

He sanctifies us through every test, trial and tribulation, we go through. He is making us a little more holy each time we learn to forgive the unforgivable. If we try to achieve holiness in our own strength, we would thoroughly exhaust ourselves and give up. 

Striving for peace and holiness means never allowing ourselves to think,  

“This is as good as it gets, I can never be any better.” God knows that we are getting better. We persist in striving for peace, holiness, and forgiveness, since Jesus persisted all the way to the cross for us. 

We are all becoming better, even through every difficulty and hard time we face,  because Jesus is sanctifying our spirit, soul and body. He is making us holy because God knows we cannot do it ourselves, in fact, we can do nothing without Him. 

God is still writing our story, so let’s not take away His pen. He isn’t finished with any of us yet. 

He proves it by giving us another year to strive for peace and holiness, as He makes us a daily reflection of His son, to the world around us. He is preparing all of us to see His glorious face, one day, when He returns. 

Lord, thank you for making us holy as you sanctify and transform us to become a people who spread your love and peace wherever we go. Amen

Have a Happy, Healthy New Year!

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

Matthew 5:46-47 (NIV)

Sociologists would say that it’s  only human to be aligned with a group, tribe, sect or a community of those we consider to be our own people, but God sees all people as His own people, since He created every person for Himself. Jesus calls us to meet, greet and show kindness to those who are outside of our own familiar community.

A team of people from my church have been working to help a  family of nine, who journeyed 7400 miles, just to live in safety and freedom. The family is from Afghanistan. Hamid, the father, is one of many Afghani men who risked his life to aid our US military when our troops were involved in the war there. 

When the US suddenly pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, the terrorist Taliban regime came back, regaining their oppressive control of the country. They imposed rigid laws on the entire population, restricting the people’s rights, but the main mission of the Taliban was to hunt down and murder all those who aided US coalition forces during the war. 

Many Afghani families fled for their life, seeking refuge here. Hamid was one of the fortunate ones, who escaped, saving not only himself, but his wife and seven children. He now has a job, and gets help from a team in our church who hooks his family up with the agencies, education and material goods that they need. 

This year I spent Christmas Eve in a way that I never did before. Cathy and Tom, who are part of the team working with them, took me along to visit Hamid’s family, who live in the Chicago area. We brought toys for the children, who are ages 3 to 14, and enjoyed a three hour visit with them. 

Sara, the seven year old, attached herself to me. She brought me books to read to her, served me tea and Cheetos with a little tea set, and later, Cathy and I played a few games of Uno, with her and Fahima, her mom. I picked up some words in Dari, a dialect similar to Persian, and learned a special phrase, “Beh tarindost”, which means “my best friend”. 

Hamid’s best friend, who is like a brother, was also there with his family. He escaped from the same town in Afghanistan five years ago, and his two children, are now teenagers, fluent in English. Bibi is a high school junior who dreams of becoming a doctor. She was the one who translated for all of us that day. Her brother, Obide, is an avid soccer fan, who wants to become a dentist one day. He was watching a soccer game on TV, during our visit. 

Fahima asked how Cathy and I knew each other, and we told her that we go to the same church. Obide perked up and asked if we went to the Hillside church. I told him I did not, and then he went back to watching TV. I thought to myself, how would a Moslem teenager be familiar with a particular church by name?

I later searched on my phone and discovered there is a Hillside church in their neighborhood with a website that emphasizes their student outreach ministry. Obide must have heard of the church through his high school friends. 

It seems that in every culture, the adults tend to stay within their own faith community, while the younger generation is open to learn about other faith traditions, through school friends. I am sure that’s how Obide knew the name of that particular church. 

As Fahima graciously served us tea, cookies and pistachio nuts, she asked Cathy what Christmas is, through Bibi, who translated for us. Cathy said it’s a celebration of the birth of Jesus, who we believe is the son of God. She left a tiny seed of our faith, while we had an entire afternoon of exchanging mutual kindness and respect. 

After spending most of my time with Sara, as the time came to say goodbye, I called her, “Beh tarindost,” my best friend. She filled my heart with lots of love and big hugs during those few hours. I can still see her in the doorway as we left, asking me to come back again.

Jesus told us to step outside of our comfort zone and greet those who are not our own people. He knew that when we do, we would be overwhelmed with the warmth of God’s love that flows through all people from every culture. I learned from Sara, my best friend that day, that love really does transcend all barriers.

Lord, make us a bridge to peace by sharing your love with those outside our own community of faith, so we may be blessed by your love that flows through all people. Amen

Sara and me 

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?

 Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do?

They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?

Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”

Job 11:7-9 (NIV)

There still are some unexplained mysteries in the world that have no logical explanation outside of being a miracle. When I learned about this one, I couldn’t help but share it.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, there is a small chapel called the Loretto chapel, with a beautiful winding staircase, which is an engineering mystery, and considered to be miraculous by others. The story behind the staircase has been written about in books and even presented on a TV show, called Unsolved Mysteries.

The Loretto chapel was built by a French architect in 1878, but a problem remained with the choir loft, being 20 feet above the main floor. There was no way of building a stairway to reach the loft due to the small area of space in the chapel. A staircase that reaches that high, would result in stairs that interfere with the worship area of the chapel. Carpenters were consulted but they all concluded that the only way to the loft is to use a ladder. 

The nuns that commissioned and were overseeing the project, wanted a staircase built, so they prayed together for nine days straight, asking God to help them find someone who could build a staircase to the choir loft. On the ninth day of their prayers, a total stranger showed up at their door, holding a toolbox, saying he was there to build a staircase. 

The sisters trusted the mysterious man, who built a wooden winding staircase, that was not only exquisite in design, but took up minimal space. Its design defies all the load bearing principles, according to engineering experts, and is considered a marvel by all. 

After months of working on the staircase, the mysterious carpenter left without taking any pay for the job. The nuns put an ad in the local newspaper, asking for the staircase builder to return and receive his pay, but no one ever did. 

It eventually became known as the  “Miraculous staircase,” for three reasons. 

1-No one could determine who the man was that built it. 

2-No one can be certain of what type of wood it is made of.

3-No one understands how it remains sturdy, being built using wooden pegs, instead of nails, to hold it together. 

Over a century later, tourists still visit Loretto and see the 33 steps of unsupported spirals, shaped like the double helix design of DNA. The design was innovative for its time, and the nuns believe that Joseph, the carpenter father of Jesus, built it. Others think it was an angel, disguised as a carpenter, but no one really knows. 

We will never know the answers about the beautiful staircase in the Loretto chapel, until we reach the other side of eternity. Some features, like the 33 steps, which is the exact age of Jesus when He died, and the double helix design of DNA, originated by God, the Creator, give us hints that the entire design is divine in origin. 

The staircase in the chapel is something that people can still see and touch today, over a century later. Though many questions remain unanswered, that’s what makes it a mystery, and a reminder of a God who still works miracles. We give Him all the glory for the inspiring, beautiful work, that is still there for anyone to see.

Lord, thank you for being a God of miracles, whose mysteries confound the wise, but give grace to the humble, who trust in you. Amen

 

“And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”  

Romans 8:27 (RSV)

I used to usher in my previous church and one weekend after putting the collection money into the safe, I noticed a staff member in the lobby of the church, who was calling 911.

He told me that a lady sitting in a pew told someone next to her that she was having a stroke. The staff person asked me to go sit with her in the pew, until EMS arrived. I sat next to her and she was able to talk, telling me how she had suddenly developed weakness on the entire left side of her body. She drove herself to church that day and was all alone. 

I put my arm around her and was about to say a prayer, when a paramedic appeared at my side, motioning for me to get out of the pew. They placed her in a carry chair and rushed her off to the nearest hospital. Thank God they arrived so quickly, but I felt bad that I never had a chance to pray. 

I might have been interrupted, but I now believe that as I put my arm around her with the intent to pray, that in itself, became a wordless prayer. God knows our intentions, with or without words. To touch someone’s hand or shoulder, with good intent, becomes a prayer. 

The scripture verse today, tells us that God searches our hearts and knows our mind, our spirit, and our deepest intentions. Since God is all knowing and omnipresent, His Spirit is with us in every situation. He knows the thoughts of our heart and intercedes for us, as His Spirit finishes prayers that we cannot finish. 

Words do matter at times, as when someone verbally cries out to God for help, since whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, (Romans 10:13) 

But there is a different kind of “calling upon” the Lord, which comes from deep within our spirit. Calling upon the Lord is a prayer intention in our heart, even before it is verbalized. 

A human mind processes from 6,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day, and God is big enough to know every thought at all times and all places, before a single word is spoken. We are fully known and understood by an awesome and loving God.

Sometimes we are hindered from praying in person for someone due to geographical distance, or we might be too distressed or brokenhearted to find the words to pray at all. The Spirit intercedes on our behalf, knowing our heart’s intent. We are God’s people by faith, spread across the world, but we are all connected by one Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us.

Lord, thank you for sending your Spirit to intercede for us, knowing the thoughts and intentions of our heart, even without words. Amen

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

Luke 2:13-14 (NIV)

Mary had a long rugged journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill their census obligation. The Roman emperor demanded that every citizen register at the city of their birthplace, and Joseph’s was Bethlehem.

It didn’t seem like the best timing for Mary since she was in her last month of pregnancy, riding on a donkey over rough terrain and winding roads. During the bumpy ride, the full term infant was bouncing in her womb, and on her bladder, which made the long journey even more uncomfortable, as anyone can imagine. 

When they finally arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn. Her labor had started, leaving Mary and Joseph in a stressful predicament. I can just imagine them praying every step of the way, asking God to lead them to a resting place. He sent some helpful people, who led them to a shelter inside of a  shepherd’s cave. 

It was a place where they could lay their bags down, find rest and hope for a safe delivery of their baby. After feeling Him move and grow in her womb for nine months, the time finally came for her to actually see Him, as she delivered Jesus in a cave, normally used to shelter animals. An ordinary cave became the sacred birthplace of the Son of God and Prince of peace, where Jesus drew His first breath of human life. 

Mary and Joseph called Him Jesus, as the angel, Gabriel instructed them to do. What an awesome moment to know He was the Messiah, as Mary finally looked into His eyes for the first time. It was a holy exchange of first glances, that flooded them both with indescribable joy and peace. 

Angels surrounded the area, appearing to shepherds, declaring peace on earth. The shepherds gazed at the multitude of angels in amazement and then hurried to the cave for their first glance at the little Prince of peace. That night consisted of many first glances, a night full of wonder and awe, when God visibly came to earth to visit His people. 

His mother’s face was the first face Jesus ever looked at. He continued to look to her face, seeking His mother’s glance of approval as He grew, learning from her and knowing the warmth of her loving touch and smile. Since their first glance at each other in that cave, they formed a special bond. Jesus grew to manhood, and in His mother’s eyes, He could see the window to her soul, as a reminder of His own divine purpose in coming into the world.

Mary found a sustaining peace in glancing at the face of her son, who is the light that shines in the darkness. She knew she was looking into the eyes of her Creator and the Savior of the world, and yet He was a human infant baby boy, who could not survive without her. He was spoken of by angels, nine months before, and now His arrival into the world was a sacred moment, with the exchange of many first glances. 

As we envision the events of His birth, the mother chosen by God and God’s divine Son, we can use our imagination to seek a closer look at the face of Jesus. His face is one that will always remind us of how much God loves us, and that we can carry His presence and peace in our hearts all the days of our life. 

We join the angels in saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth.”

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Lord, as the divine Word made flesh, we thank you for being our light in every darkness, and the peace that dwells in the hearts of all who seek your face. Amen

“And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

The names and titles of Jesus which Isaiah once proclaimed, signify the way God will be with  us in every type of situation. If there’s a need for advice or guidance, He is a “Wonderful counselor.” If we need the love and security of a father, He is the “Everlasting Father.” When we become anxious and worried, He is our “Prince of peace.”

When we cry out to Him, He hears us from His holy throne in Heaven. So many examples in scripture reveal how God intervenes for His people, when things appear hopeless.

Jacob was given the birthright to the holy land, but thought that he might not have a future at all. After having a dispute with his twin brother over that birthright, Esau, his twin, was hunting him down with a group of men, to kill Him. Jacob, exhausted from fleeing his brother, fell asleep and dreamed of climbing a ladder to heaven, as God spoke to him, 

“I am with you and will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” 

Those words were comforting, but more than bringing comfort, God intervened and brought peace between the twin brothers and the crisis was averted. 

About two years ago, a friend told me a true story about a young man she knew, who was given a tainted drug at a music concert, resulting in a long hospitalization, eventually leading to him being put on life support. All the doctors indicated that he would never recover, but His parents would not agree to stop life support.  

The young man eventually woke up out of his coma, fully intact, with no mental or physical deficits. There is no explanation for it except that it was a miracle of God’s intervention. When medical treatment can only do so much, God reached out and did the rest. He restored the future of a man against all odds, just as He did for Jacob. 

When we are at our lowest, God steps in to raise us up. His word tells us that weeping may last for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. He is a mighty God, a wonderful counselor, an Everlasting Father and the Prince of peace for every need of our life. 

He loves us, He hears our cry and He isn’t finished with us yet. He restores us with new hope and intervenes on our behalf when no one else can.

Lord, you are our greatest hope, and we trust in you in all the titles you have as our Lord, and believe you will intervene for us in even in the worst situations, because of your great love for us. Amen

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them.”

John 14:23 (NIV)

What comforting words of Jesus, telling us that when we love and obey Him, He and His Father will come and make their home with us. One of the simplest visual illustrations of this is the Nativity scene that we see every year at Christmas. Joseph, Mary and Jesus all did whatever God asked of them, and as a result, God Almighty literally came and made His home with them. 

Mary obeyed by agreeing to give birth to, carry, and be the mother of the Son of God. Joseph obeyed by marrying her and being a loving father to the long awaited Messiah. Later, Jesus obeyed His heavenly Father, by doing all that was required in being the Lamb of God for all mankind. There was nothing simple about any of them, yet they modeled the essence of obedience, especially during the most difficult stages of their lives. 

Just as Mary and Joseph were given opportunities to say yes to God’s purpose and timing, we also have similar moments in our lives, to say yes to God. 

Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness,  but it says that He was “led by the Spirit” there to be tempted by the devil. 

(Matthew 4:1)

If He was led there by the Spirit, it proves that while we are in a wilderness stage of our life, God is in it with us. He used those days in the wilderness to strengthen Jesus, just as He uses those days in our lives to strengthen us. As we say yes to Him, God comes to make His home with us and strengthen us during our time in the wilderness. 

God intersects all of our lives in ways that require our obedience and surrender, especially in the most difficult times. He doesn’t always work within our timing, but His timing is always perfect. His Holy Spirit helps us to come to peace with His timing, even when we cannot fully understand it. 

When I made a plan to retire in October of 2023, I had no idea that my adult son would have an accident in September of that year, placing him in a Nursing home, with a traumatic brain injury. In the beginning, as I would visit Jon each week, it felt like I was in a wilderness, but God started to show me that He wants to use my time there, to share His kindness with others, in ways that I never could have imagined. 

In all of the unexpected and painful situations we face, we must remind ourselves of the most central message of Advent, which is “God with us.” God made it clear to me that He is always with us, because He was with me throughout my wilderness.

Jesus told us that loving and obeying Him is the key to God making His home with us. We overcome evil, in the same way that Jesus did during those forty days, and we do it through loving and obeying God. There is a mysterious, divine strength that comes to us during the most painful, dark, and confusing times in our lives. It’s easy to obey Him during the good times, but by loving and obeying Him in the wilderness, He comes and makes His home with us, as Jesus said. 

The next time we pass a Nativity scene, we can remind ourselves that Joseph, Mary and Jesus set the precedent for obedience that physically brought God to them. When we look in the manger, we can be assured that God is truly with us, and if He is with us, we can do anything, because He gives us strength. 

Lord, thank you for giving us strength during the hardest times in our lives, and help us to keep our eyes on the manger, which is the greatest proof that You are always with us. Amen

“Now Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the Lord had come down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently.

The blast of the shofar grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God was answering him with thunder.”

Exodus 19:18-19 (NAB)

Moses stood on top of Mount Sinai, which shook as the Lord came down upon it in the form of fire. When Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder. Then, from somewhere in the heavens, came the loud blast of a shofar, which is a ram’s horn. All of these knee shaking dramatic events took place as God revealed not only His power but His mercy, since no one was injured by the fire or the earthquake. As I read this, I can’t help but ask where on earth is this awesome mountain today?

One of the highest mountains in Saudi Arabia is near the border of Jordan, called “Jabal al Lawz”, which archeologists believe is the original Mount Sinai. It’s the only mountain in the area that is black all across the top from fire, which fits the bible’s description of fire and smoke rising from the top of the mountain. Bedouins, the nomadic tribes, who lived in that area for generations, have always called it the Mountain of Musa, or “Moses.”

The shofar is blown every year on the Jewish Day of Atonement, in Synagogues across the world. Our Christian faith has its roots in many traditions of Judaism. Since Jesus was Jewish, in a mystical way, our faith is spiritually linked to the traditions of His people. 

I believe that angels in Heaven blew a shofar at 3:00 pm at the exact minute Jesus breathed His last breath on the cross, on the original Good Friday, 2,000 years ago. That was the “final” Day of Atonement, when God offered His only son for us.

Since then, 3:00 pm is a special hour of God’s mercy, being the moment that Jesus died.  

Jewish tradition believes that the last and final shofar will be blown by angels in Heaven, on the day that Messiah comes to earth. The word shofar is translated to trumpet in the New Testament. The blowing of the “last trumpet” in Heaven, signals the second coming of Jesus Christ. 

New Testament scripture tells us about the last trumpet:

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:16)

“We will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet…”

(1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

When that trumpet/shofar is sounded for the last time, in the blink of an eye, we will all be changed, whether dead or alive, into incorruptible bodies, to live forever with Jesus. He will appear standing upon the Mount of Olives, which is not a very high mountain, but it’s a mountain that contains another interesting mystery.

The prophet Zechariah foretold that when the Messiah comes and stands upon the Mount of Olives, it will be split in half from 

“east to west.” (Zechariah 14:4) 

A prophet in 600 B.C. couldn’t have known that Geologists have since found a fault line on the Mount of Olives, that runs from “east to west.” So, bible prophecy and science confirm the same truth about the same mountain that Jesus will stand upon at His second coming.

The mysteries of these holy mountains bring science into what was once thought of as myth, like the charred black top of Mount Sinai, which reveals that the presence of God once touched it with fire. 

The Jerusalem Mount of Olives’ fault line reminds us that one day the nail scarred feet of Jesus will touch ground upon it and that holy mountain will split in half. 

All these mysteries inspire our faith but when a mystery can be authenticated by science, it fills us with extra joy in believing. We celebrate the first coming of Jesus at Christmas, and we anticipate and prepare ourselves for His second coming at a time and day that no one knows.

Lord, thank you for the awesome truths about your holy mountains. Keep us faithful to the day when the last trumpet is blown and you gather us to live with you forever. Amen

Jabal al Lawz mountain

Mount of Olives

“For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:20 (RSV)

Last Monday, as I was driving to the Nursing home, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to pray for Joanne, a resident who is losing her eyesight due to Vascular Arteritis. I already prayed for her a few times before and nothing much changed. She was still losing sight, worse in one eye. That day I had a mental image in my mind of praying for her healing, along with Martha and Ray, the parents of Andy. 

So when I arrived and visited with the residents for a while, this was still lying heavily on my heart and I told Ray and Martha that the Lord wants us to pray together for Joanne’s eyes. Ray pulled out a bottle of holy water, which I was pleasantly surprised to see. I put a drop on her forehead and we all laid hands on her and prayed for healing of her eyes. Our prayers included Ray’s glaucoma, my high eye pressures, Jon and Andy’s healing and all the others at the table. 

When I visited the next day, Joanne told me her eyes were better. I hesitated to write about it, wanting to be sure she was really better. That was ten days ago, and yesterday she told me she can really see better in both eyes. She was pointing to things and described how she sees so much clearer, especially with her worse eye. The only thing that we did different was to pray for her as a group of three, and I believe the Lord is healing her. 

Since the day we all prayed, I went to my follow up eye doctor appointment and he said my pressures are not really high as first thought. After measuring the thickness of my corneas, my pressures were reevaluated to be within normal range so he canceled glaucoma testing. Meanwhile we still hope for more answered prayers to come.

On that day, Martha, Ray and I gathered together, just as Jesus told us all to do: “When two or three gather in My name- there I am in their midst.” And He was there!

A Jewish resident friend sitting at the table with us, was listening to Joanne talk about her eyes being healed and he asked us to pray for his GI surgery next week. That will be our next gathering of three to pray. 

I am so blessed to have met people of faith like Andy’s parents, Martha and Ray, and I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit brought us together for His purpose and for His will to be done there.

Amidst all the confusion, hatred and violence in the world these days, we must never lose heart. Jesus still comes into our midst when we gather together to pray. He is with us even when we pray alone, but something different happens when two or more believers pray together as a group. 

It was the Holy Spirit’s idea to pray for Joanne that day and Ray happened to be ready with the holy water. We simply prayed as a group of three and Jesus showed up. Joanne’s healing gives us hope for more to come.

Lord, thank you for coming into our midst in a powerful way when two or more gather in your name  through prayer. Give us faith to believe for more answers to come. Amen

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”

Jeremiah 29:12 ( RSV)

The Lord said when we talk to Him, He will hear us, and when He talks to us, we were meant to hear from Him as well. I can think of several times when I talk more than I listen. I think I’ve been this way all of my life, whether it is with my children, my husband or my friends, I always felt I needed to give the right answer, when it would have been better if I just listened. 

In thinking about my listening skills, there’s a lot of work to be done there. When I feel listened to by someone, it makes me want to return to that person and talk to them even more. Those who are good listeners will have many friends. Being a good listener is a wonderful goal to aim for. 

Listening is a gift from God that we can share with anyone. We naturally enjoy the company of those who listen to us. There’s a difference in being talked at and talked with. To talk with someone is to first listen to them before responding. 

Once at a family party, I was speaking to my nephew’s wife, who works as a counselor for trauma victims. I learned a lot as she shared her knowledge and skill of listening to her clients. I really enjoyed talking to her, and was impressed with what a great listener she was, but after all, that is her field of expertise. 

The Lord seemed to be telling me that we don’t need a degree in psychology to be a better listener. It’s an intentional gift that we can give to others. Being heard means more than being spoken to, especially during a serious hardship. God can use us to give someone the gift of being heard.

As these thoughts filled my mind, I suddenly realized I was having a conversation with Jesus, and I was actually listening. The Lord 

made His point by inspiring me to improve my own listening skills. 

As we meet people with various problems, we don’t always have to offer them the perfect solution or have the answers to their problems. Having all the right answers are for tests and game shows. When it comes to relationships, most people need a friend who listens. As I look back on my life, even in every good relationship, I might have missed opportunities to be a better listener. 

The beauty of abiding in Jesus, is that He isn’t looking for people who never make mistakes, just teachable people who can learn from them. 

It helps to practice His presence daily, by having daily chats with Jesus, since it is during those chats that we become better listeners. After we listen to Him, we can go out into the world and give the gift of listening to others.

Lord, thank you for always listening to us, and help us to become better listeners to you and to give the gift of listening to whoever we meet. Amen