Listen when people talk to you. To be attentive to others is one of the greatest gifts. Keep your mind awake and pay attention when people speak to you.
Fr. Thomas Hopko
It is really true, being a good listener is one of the greatest gifts you can give anybody!
Acquiring peace, as St. Seraphim talks about, really could happen if one just learns to listen. Truly listen!
We all want to be heard, right? When we are allowed to voice our feelings, share a story; that is when we truly feel heard…and loved.
So, what better way to show love and caring then to just listen?
I’ve really begun to see this in my own life over the last couple years. Teenagers, especially girls, really just need to talk sometimes. They need very few, if any, words returned. They just need to talk. To be heard. To lay bare their hearts. And when you let them. Wow! It’s magical. I’ve learned so much from my girls by allowing this to happen. And they are some very introspected humans and often can figure out their own problems just by being allowed to talk.
Give an ear far more often and just see what the world opens up to you.
Kindler of Joy! 