Conversations, June 4, 2009

I talked to my parents a little bit this week. Dad has been to two doctors. The first was the heart doctor. This doctor told him that there was a blockage and one of the valves has a small leak. But he called that minor, compared to what Dad is going through right now, and they are just going to watch all of that for a while. The second doctor was the chemo doctor. He told dad that he is now in the lowest part of the valley, but just starting to slowly start making his way out. He can start trying to eat solid food in a week or so and hopefully his voice will start getting stronger, he will begin to have a bit more energy.

One thing my Mom has missed over the past four weeks is the conversations they had. That is hard for her. It takes a lot of energy to talk, especially when you are trying to talk loud and it only comes out as a whisper, so just a short conversation is enough to wear him down. He still tries, but his throat still hurts so much from the radiation that no one will ever understand unless you have been through it.

But have you ever wondered about your best conversations? I was thinking on this the other day. I have had some conversations that I don’t want to end. I have talked on the topics of customer service, family dynamics, emotions, illness, friendship and love. I speak of my faith in God and my beliefs. But speaking is only half of what a conversation is. The other half is listening. Not only listening, but letting the other person know that you are really hearing them by your body language, facial expressions, as well as your response. In my line of work, I have to be able to hold a conversation with strangers every day. If I am not listening, I could misdirect someone and that could be disastrous.

What about your daily conversation with God? Do you have one? Most of us pray everyday. Do we pray help this person, that situation or do we pray that God’s will be done? Do we sometime throughout the day let God speak? I like to think that is what my Bible reading does for me. During that early morning quiet time, I like to read and see what God has written just for me. It may be a praise, it maybe a warning, it may be a story that will help me someday. I find that if I read early in the day, then I can think about what God is saying to me all day.

God speaks to us in so many ways. It could be His Word, a song, someone else. Do we listen? We should. God listens to us. Our preacher always says that maybe God gave us two ears and one mouth is so we will listen twice as much as we talk. The Psalmist has said, “I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints— but let them not return to folly.” Psalm 85:8. So have a conversation. Do your part to talk and to listen. It may be enlightening or even bring peace to you, His people.