Thursday

Communication

It is tougher than you think. And much tougher than I think. Being able to be an active listener, not get defensive and keep a conversation on focus is hard. I sometimes wonder if our brains work too fast. As we listen we process and are ready to talk, even before the other person is finished. To make matters worse we talk fast too. It is a "stacato of verbosity" to coin a phrase.

One reason is time. We are in a hurry to say, hear and move on. Conversations are like a Google headline. You know what ends up happening? Stress and unsatisfied hearts.

I am thinking I need to re-frame some things. One could be developing the art of long, slow conversations. Taking an hour or two and letting some one finish their thought before I speak. Maybe I should develop a southern drawl. That could slow things down a bit. Perhaps less email, less voicemail and less people are needed.

When I think of it, Jesus had a few friends and he did not have a Linkedin Network, or Facebook or any other wide social network. He had brief conversations with women at wells and centurions (literally less than 10 minutes) and he had lengthy conversations with the few. Long dinners, lunches with fish and bread, time in a boat, and walking together.

I think He got less done than He could have. But no one complained. Especially those He spent time with. Worship Well