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What are the blessings that come from deep listening?
My experience of deep listening comes from my Quaker practice of Worship. We enter the Silence, as Quakers call being in God's presence, listening, waiting for a message or light.
Quiet and still, I find peace, I rest, my mind becomes still.
I learn that anywhere I am that I may enter the Silence and when I do, God's Blessings are given.
Light is given to the person I'm with. In being faithful to being in the Silence, I become the observer or witness to God's love, forgiveness and healing of the brokenhearted, the oppressed, the abused, the one who is dying, the one who is being born.
The connection between God, the other person and myself is a mystery. Do we call it grace? Jesus' love? The gift of the Holy One? Great Mystery?
Question for your comments and stories:
What is your experience of the connection between blessing and deep listening? Please respond.
Blessings,
Judy
5 comments:
My experience is that the blessing comes only after I obey the prompting that I hear in the silence. If I don't act on it, no blessing. But if I act on it, I feel a sense of peace, and sometimes see wonderful results.
Thank you RichardM for your comment. Yes, acting on the prompting is essential. Please share with us a time when you acted on a prompting and what happened.
Blessings,
Judy
On my blog I sometimes relate specific stories of following leadings and in fact my last two posts fit that pattern. Here are updates on both stories. "It's for You" concerned a call from a stranger asking me to help another stranger. The stranger in need did find the help he needed in Greenville SC. In the previous post I related the story of "James." I saw James again this week and he told me he had picked up a little part time work, so he seems to be doing some better.
I find it difficult to do that kind of deep listening. I find myself thinking and praying about problems to fill the silence. Any tips on how to quiet down and listen more? Thanks--Donna
Donna -
What sometimes works for me is to listen to the problems which enter the silence trying not to respond to them, just listening to them. Also, I find that I need to continually practice listening in all my interactions. When I meditate (which is different)that also helps me to listen more deeply.
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