Day 20- How to Be Truly Heard

Before I continue to get behind, let me at least do today's entry.

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There were three things that Jesus did "beyond merely speaking" that allowed Him to truly be heard. First, he touched those He healed. It gave the examples of Him laying hands on many sick people and touching a leper. But why? After all, He healed the servant of a Roman officer from many miles away. What is so special about human touch? I don't know, but there really is something powerful in touching. Whether a pat on the back, a gentle squeeze on the arm or shoulder, or just a good ole' fashioned hug, it seems to put more meaning behind whatever words or feelings are going on in the situation. I think there's also something to be said about having confidence in both yourself and who the other person is and where your relationships is at that also plays into it (both what kind of physical language is spoken as well as what it means- a "church hug" from some random person isn't quite the same as a hug from a good friend). But, as the book warns, "[t]ouch is a powerful method of communication that can be misused or misunderstood." I've definitely lived that. . . and I know because of my past experiences that I am pretty physically guarded now. And sometimes that is frustrating, because I don't want to come off as cold or uninviting, but at the same time, well. . . like I said, I am careful. Maybe I need to let go of the old problems and start to find the physical side of my new life? I don't know. One last cool thought: "Jesus had the right touch, because he truly cared about everyone he met."

Second, He used questions to challenge. Jesus and Peter's interactions are perfect examples ("Who am I?" or "Do you love me?"x3 are what come to my head). A lot of times, we are too busy trying to get other people to change their minds without allowing them the chance to think; we just fight them until they give up. How else should we get people to think but to ask questions? And not in a mean way either, but to honestly allow them the chance to evaluate what they are thinking and doing, rather than just yelling at them. I LOVE asking questions, and I love trying to defend myself when I'm asked questions, because often times, one or both parties learn something new. Again, I think that's why I like teaching secondary students so much: they are intelligent enough to come up with some awesome questions and understand the responses, but they aren't set in their ways, so they are willing to absorb new information.

Finally, Jesus used pictures to communicate new truth. Do I have to start naming parables? The two pointed out in this chapter is the idea of being born again and that of living water. These different images and stories Jesus used give us new perspective on things that, while we may have thought about them before, we have not thought about them in that way. Not all of us are great at making up analogies (ask me about the giraffes on stairs sometime), but I think that this is just an encouragement to seek other ways of explaining your perspective to someone else rather than giving up right away.

Point to Ponder: Take responsibility for helping others hear you.
As a teacher, I know I have to help my students listen to me a LOT. . . but I don't think that's what this means. We have to be sensitive to what is most effective in reaching out to others and not just throw our hands up in the air when it seems like someone isn't listening to us or "doesn't get it." To take the teacher perspective, we all learn and express ourselves in different ways, so the idea of having to alter our communication strategies from one relationship to the next really shouldn't be that surprising.

Verse to Remember: Mark 4:20- "Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop- thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown."
Think about different stories of those who have, in tough situations, continued to evangelize and love the people they are around, and then that person ends up turning to Christ and in turn touching hundreds and hundreds of people. I think of the story of my friend's dad who was in college and ended up showing the love of Christ to his roommate who is now a preacher at a very large church (I want to say 2,500 in the congregation? Something like that). From those seeds that he planted, look how many lives are being changed! We must never give up, because we don't know what the Lord can do with even the smallest seeds we end up planting.

Question to Consider: To whom do I need to offer a kind touch of compassion? For whom could a well-phrased question bring a needed challenge? Where do I need to use a picture to communicate a truth I've been having a hard time getting across?
SO MANY QUESTIONS. First, I think that there are quite a few people in my life that I could start opening up with, not just in a physical way, but also emotionally. I'm really good at listening, but I think I need to move past that and also be good at sharing. And if that includes being touched or reaching out myself, well, I need to get past that fear of rejection. Second, that's an interesting question. The first people that come to mind are my parents, but I just don't know exactly what I would ask and how I would approach it. Third. . . I'm still trying to figure out how to explain the process that has gone on in me since last summer. There's the whole caterpillar/butterfly thing, but my only problem with that is that there doesn't seem to be much struggle after the butterfly escapes the cocoon. Maybe it just needs modification. . . like maybe the butterfly sometimes has to fly in scary places? I don't know. I'm tired, so I'm going to stop now.