Day twenty-four... Simplicity is listening.

My friend, John R. Williamson, is a teacher, a father, husband and musician in California. We met many years ago when I was searching for music for a radio program that I had put together for a local am radio station. He was so kind to have sent a number of his cassettes my way.

Many a Saturday, I found myself travelling along, driving my little girl around town, listening to John's music. After a few years of pen paling, I actually convinced John to fly across the United States to play an east coast tour. We set up something like 12 concerts in 9 days to help pay for his trip. What an adventure it ended up becoming, what a hoot! At the end of his visit, John repaid our Virginia hospitality by showering us with many wonderful works of his art. The walls in our cozy library are covered with these wonderful grand statements of life captured on canvas. One of my favorites, which sits right beside the soft green chair where I read every night, is the blue -inked drawing he called Listening.

This picture is a simple reminder to me everyday that I should take the time to pay attention to the people in my life, listening to what they have to share. In most cases, this is a talent for me, where I am able to cut off the distractions and focus on what my family has to say. Some days, I do find myself caught forgetting the important information... especially scheduling issues. I know this drives Ashley crazy. Listening has also become more and more of a challenge with more and more children in the house. We've had to teach the kiddos to take turns talking, just like at school, in order to maintain our version of insanity.

I often picture it as the old tags we would have to take at the cleaners...

That said, I have set it as a challenge to myself to become better organized in thought and action, based on the things which I hear people say in a conversation. I have been keeping notes about my children's needs...my daughter needs paper for her binder, the boys would like to spend more time playing basketball at the Y. My wife would like just a few days where she doesn't have to be responsible for the constant juggling act she goes through to get the children off to school in the morning.

The Donahues have started using google calendars, set up for each member of the family. Checking this calendar each day, before I call Ashley on the phone allows me the chance of being a bit more successful in my attempt to "stay on top of things." It has helped our relationship tremendously, if only to give me the chance to recognize why she is so tired at the end of the day. You mothers are superheroes...I'll tell you that.

It took some planning and practice, but now I check our calendars every day. We have fewer slip ups in forgetting upcoming events and I have gone several months now without overbooking events.

Listening is key in building a relationship.

Focusing on listening in my life has shown me that the same it true with my relationship with God. Like the visual of a prayer wheel, am I just sending up request after request? Am I taking time to listen to the answer to my prayers? Am I taking time to listen for God's guiding hand?

Take two minutes to turn off the phone, the computer, the television. Pull over to the side of the road in your life, just for a moment. Better yet, take a step outside and just listen. If you can survive two minutes, try five minutes next time.



Link of the day...
http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=3206 Psychology Today offers a free Listening Skills test.

Quote of the day...
“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” Robert McCloskey

Bible verse of the day...
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;" James 1:19