One Life: Sent by Jesus to Carry Each OtherНамуна

How do you show up at work? How do you show up at home?

How we show up reflects our love for Jesus, and how we go through our daily routines becomes a way to care for others like Christ does for us.

Our social engagements with one another matter and to have a successful interaction with those we engage with an understanding must be reached, which requires we must listen first.

This is important, especially with those who are different from us.

From my experience, a happy and loyal staff requires active listening, especially to their concerns and hurts; doing this in a caring and authentic way builds unity and benefits our relationship.

When we carefully listen to our members share their diverse experiences, it shows that we hear them and can actively respond to a possible solution to the issue at hand.

Earlier in my parenthood, I found that when my children had some bad news to share, I was quick to share my response prior to "listening", which created other and more critical problems.

So how did I become better at listening? It's a process.

No one is ALWAYS perfect in it, but there is a way to approach it. The Psalmist writes in 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” – this is a helpful reminder of how my life can demonstrate faith and unity with the Lord and others.

Practicing being still and listening to God is not easy for me.

In a practical approach, I will walk off somewhere, take five minutes of total quiet, and turn off the phone and the noise in my head.

Wait and listen for God to share all the sounds around you.

At the end of the five minutes, write down all the things you heard during that time of silence (i.e. running water, the hum of the air conditioning, birds chirping, etc.)

Keep practicing this exercise and then apply this activity to your conversations. It will help you hear the call of Christ to send you to others, to be his hands and heart, to care and carry those who are praying for hope and help.

See what happens when you take your time to answer the prayer of Jesus, “that we may all be one.”

Written by Jamal Riley, Association Chaplain, YMCA of Greater Richmond VA