July 30, 2009
My mouth shall recount your mighty acts and saving deeds all day long, though I cannot know the number of them. Ps 71:15
He was hard to understand. Words kind of slurred together and he spoke just a bit too softly to compete with the airconditioning overhead. His soft demeanor drew me in, however. I wanted to know his story.
Mindful of our class on "listening techniques," I silently vowed not to pepper him with questions. Instead, I would make reflective statements, "you are in pain." or "your neice works tonight." or "you really love church." to affirm that I was listening. The pace of our conversation, and my heart, slowed to HIS pace, not mine.
He began to explain to me his journey, as a black man, in a nearly all-white church. How the folks there welcome him like one of them. How his black son married a white girl and how he affirmed them both, "if it works for you and you love each other, then great!"
I can't wait to get back to him, hear more of his story, allow my inner clock to slow to his pace and hear God's mighty acts and saving deeds.
How are you recounting Spirit's mighty acts and saving deeds, right now?
That is a huge practice - to slow to his pace and not yours. I am trying to do that, too, but it certainly takes intention!
ReplyDeleteMost recently I did this with my aunt in Mississippi. She has suffered a severe stroke which took away her speech and ability to write. All she can say is "Ya yaa..." but she says it over and over again with expressive emphasis. To hold her hand and look her in the eye and pray that I could understand her took intentionality. But I did because my history with her was to admire her when I was little. Her gift back to me in present time was emphatic love, even if I didn't know her exact words!