There’s an adorable, viral video making the rounds, of a young dad having a conversation with his baby son, who can’t actually talk yet but is trying mighty hard. You can see the delight on both their faces as the father pretends to understand his child completely, and the child feels completely understood.
Sometimes, when I’m having early morning prayer in the Story Shack, I don’t bow my head and close my eyes as directed in Sunday School. I open the front door so I can hear the birds waking up, and I look up to the sky. When I did just that this morning, I realized Cheeto the Cat was looking up at the sky and then back at me, as if to say, “Who on earth are you talking to?”
I was talking to God, who makes me feel understood even when I’m babbling nonsense, even when I think I understand much more than I do, even when I’m as focused on my own needs as a baby looking for that next bottle.
It’s one of the best gifts we can give each other—listening and making another person feel that they’ve been truly heard, understood, and appreciated.
Committing to getting much better at it this Sunday morning.
This was the sweetest video I've seen in a long time. Listening, and then responding appropriately to the topic is another way of letting the other person know you think their talk is worth listening to. So many people I know aren't really replying, they're steering the conversation towards themselves. Thank you for writing books, may you bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ with the talents He gifted you with.
Posted by: Nancy Brown | June 10, 2019 at 08:30 AM
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video, Nancy! And I hope the story doesn't disappoint.
Posted by: Valerie Luesse | June 13, 2019 at 04:54 AM