Engaged

Ridley and I are becoming expert travelers. I am learning to pack with a "less is more" mentality. I am learning how to pack a suit without wrinkling and how to get away with only 1 pair of shoes. This is a tough assignment being a female. Then comes the challenge of getting all my favorite hair and skin products in a little bitty travel size. To top it off, I am getting creative with foods that travel well to maintain my clean eating. You would be surprise what a hotel room coffee pot can help you whip up. The sacrifice is worth it. The packing and being away from my kids can be tough, but the reward is unbelievable. It is hard to complain about any of it when I find myself smack dab in the middle of a God plan where He is choosing to use me.

Our most recent trip left my heart overflowing. As we headed out of town, I joked that I was out of words from all the praying about our recent decision to make Ridley Barron Ministries our full time focus. I decided that since Jesus had received almost all of my words, that this go round I would be traveling as a bigger listener. I learned a lot. Many of us (myself included) like to talk. Just because a person is speaking, it doesn't mean they are being listened to. I bet God can understand that better than any of us. I would imagine that was the reminder that Jesus was putting out there when He said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15)

Although listening may appear to be easy, it is often hard work. True listening requires you give another person your attention and possibly to change your attitudes as you listen. I found that the more I listened, the more I could relate to people. I am sure that sounds silly and obvious. I typically try to find common ground and relate to people, but this particular time my ears delighted more than usual in conversations. I am blessed by the opportunities to meet all kinds of people from all parts of the country. I find myself watching and waiting for the people that God is going to put in my path. I listen to their stories and at times my heart feels like I can't take them in fast enough. I am intentional about engaging with people. I listen to their accents, their passions, their laughs, their dreams, and their heartaches. With all the texting and Facebook we have, engaging in a real conversation still trumps them all. With technology, I might have missed the conversation with a chef at a cherry orchard roadside cafe. I would have missed meeting a new friend who has a amazing love story of how she met her fiance in Kenya. Engaging takes extra time when you step into a security guard's world or to take steps down a hospital hall of sick children who are coloring with their nurse.

Do you know what my favorite part of listening is? It is when listening breaks down walls or throws judgmental attitudes out. It is when you really listen that you are able to put yourself in someone else's shoes and can love them for who they are and where they are. It elevates levels of appreciation and allows forgiveness to flow. It allows perfect strangers to become instant kindred spirits. The ear has an incredible connection to the heart. Make a choice to open both and engage.