Wednesday of Holy Week - April 17, 2019
After quickly skimming the first
reading, my immediate reaction was that I would focus on the gospel. Then… I read the gospel: Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. “Ah, I think I’ll
give that first reading a more thorough review” I said to myself. It took
reading only the first few words to make it clear that was the right choice:
“The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to
speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.”
In my case, “them” are two sons
and a husband. Well-trained may not
apply to my public speaking skills, but I do feel that my calling is to be that
voice for them--to have the words that will comfort them and lift them up.
Of course, that is not always
easy, no matter my calling. They are human and individuals. There are times
that they do not want to hear what I am saying. They let me know. Often, their
resistance to my message is because I was not really listening to them. I did
not fully understand their feelings and perceptions. The key for me is to keep
listening and to be there with them always. To walk alongside them, “To
not rebel or turn back.”
As I finish writing this
reflection, something has dawned on me. God has been speaking to me as I worked
my way through this process. My focus should not be to find the right thing to
say to my family. My focus should be to
listen, to understand the meaning in their words as they understand
them.
I do not always succeed in
listening. Sometimes I fail quite miserably. Those are the times that I have to
remember that I am not doing this alone. The gift of being in their lives is
from God and
God is always there with me,
opening my ears that I may hear.
Q: Do I have a well-trained tongue? How about my ears—do I listen with compassion
and understanding?
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