Communication

     Do you ever wonder what people are hearing when you are speaking?  I wonder that often.  I feel like I must be a terrible communicator because the responses I usually get don't really go with what I thought I was saying.  Sometimes, I wonder if the words coming out of my mouth are anything like the thoughts that go with them in my head. 
     Then, of course, that leads me to wonder if I am listening well enough to really understand what other people are saying.  How often am I distracted or trying to think of what I want to say when I should just be focusing on what someone else is saying?  Listening doesn't just involve being quiet.  Listening means concentrating on what others are saying so we can ask clarifying questions and really get to the heart of what the other person is saying.  In this "all about me" culture, listening is a dying art. 

     Lord, please grant me ears to hear and a heart that listens like Yours.