Director of Spiritual Care Jim Andrews
Have you ever had someone listen to you? Really listen, so that they hear all of the meaning within and behind your words and see clearly your perspective and feel what you are feeling? What a gift this is, made so precious because it is, sadly, so rare. How simple it is to size one another up and shoot off some quick advice. This kind of external appraisal and prescription rarely enlightens or comforts, though, does it? Rachel Naomi Remen describes what happens, however, when we listen:
When you listen generously to people
they can hear the truth in themselves
often for the first time.
With my friend, with my colleague, with my patient, with my partner – today I will listen generously so that the truth they most need to hear will bubble up within their own soul.
Have a great week, everyone!
Jim