Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One- Deuteronomy 6:4
A few weeks ago I introduced a ministry philosophy ARM adopted that helps us build relationships with our families. It is called BLESS and each letter stands for a method of building relationships. Be in prayer, Listen, Eat, Share Your Story, and finally Serve. Last week, I shared some thoughts on “Be in Prayer” and specifically how we engage in prayer with our home owners. Next is Listen
What are some aspects of listening? Below are 5. I imagine when you see these, they seem fairly, straight forward:
- Pay Attention. Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the message.
- Show That You’re Listening. Use your own body language and gestures to show that you are engaged.
- Provide Feedback.
- Defer Judgment.
- Respond Appropriately.
https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm
So, how does this get applied with ARM? Think about this. When we take on a home repair project, we can get so engrossed that we may dig in and work until it’s completely finished. Time flies and you may be working so hard you do not even stop for lunch. I actually enjoy working with people with this type of commitment. However, when serving with a family, this can become a hindrance. Why? Because the relationship is always more important than the work we are doing. Listening adds value to a person. It gives them worth and realizes a deep contribution.
Those who live on the margins and are considered “poor” are easily undervalued. Stereotypes form assuming a person on a fixed income is only going to talk about financial constraints or their needs. We may assume they have always lived in the home and never gotten out much, that their life experiences are limited. Listening and actively listening like above can open up a world we never thought existed.
For example, our group from Trinity United Methodist in Fort Walton worked with Mr. Jerido this past summer. Throughout the day, they asked questions and here is what they learned. Mr. Jerido was a pastor when he was younger and a musician. To work out his bass guitar skills, he practiced with Lionel Richie and the Commodores. Wait…what??? Yep! The Commodores started out of Tuskegee University and Lionel Richie’s family still lives there. If you only saw an older man taking care of his wife and only saw them through the repairs they needed, we might miss that rich story and hearing him “shred” his bass!
As students were asking questions about life growing up and hearing the families share their stories, they came across another one. While repairing the roof and building a ramp at Ms. White’s home in the small community of Loachapoka, they learned she was a nurse. Then, discovering she loved children, she went back to school and earned a degree in Education and began teaching. Although beyond retirement age, she home schools at-risk children and looks for ways to coordinate outreach events for elementary school kids. When asked about her baptism, with a gleam in her eye, she lets on that her baptism was in the Jordan River. Like, yes, the chilling and cold Jordan River in Israel where John baptized Jesus! And, with her was BeBe and CeCe Winan that baptized her. Do a Google Search and see what you come up with on the Winans!
Being blessed to be a blessing incorporates active listening. While you are out serving and no matter where you serve, we encourage you to ask questions and listen! Incredible stories may unfold that reveal lives that are rich with memories, travels, and perspectives we would miss if we only focused on screwing nails into wood.
Who might you do to listen today?
I pray you hear Jesus calling us to listen to someone that maybe we have not heard.
On the Journey,
Lisa