It’s Saturday and time for the latest Five Minute Friday installment. I’m just awaiting test results so it’s as good a time as any to sit down and let the mind wander on this week’s prompt. When finished, I’ll join the other writer’s at Kate’s place (http://katemotaung.com/2016/09/15/five-minute-friday-listen/) to swap and share experiences.

Just as a little update, I’m doing fine from the very, very minor stroke of last week. God sent His guardian angels to plug the bleed quickly and localize the damage to my peripheral vision. I am so blessed.

So this past week my mind has been prodded and probed and predictably what was found was a bunch a free range cells running around. Let’s see if they’re just as free spirited with the prompt — LISTEN.

The timer has been set, so, let’s GO …

I am not a good listener. My wife would often tell me she had to whack me with a 2 x 4 to get me to stop and listen to her. I try and I try, but as words hit my ears, my mind starts processing them into possible solutions.

I would like to think in the latter years of our marriage, my listening skills improved. I learned sometime you have to stop thinking and actually listen to find what is bothering, in this case, my spouse.

And I’m not just a lousy listener as a spouse, but other areas of my life as well. God knows that all to well. And sometimes, He has to whack me with a 2 x 4 to tell me to stop and listen to what He is trying to say. I got the message.

Listening is an art. It’s stopping to take “you” out of the situation. It’s making you responsible for others not by deed but by action. It’s … STOP

… taking the time to find out what is bothering, affecting and challenging others so you can respond appropriately. Not immediately. Appropriately.

In my case, God was telling me to slow down. There are about a hundred other ways He could have done it, although I know He’s tried and I wasn’t listening. So, He slowed me down. Period. Out of commission completely for a few days.

I think I’ve learned my lesson. Over the next few weeks I am going to get a lot of instructions. Some of them will be lifestyle changes. Some of them will be simple do’s and don’ts. I have to discern the opinions of experts and weigh them against my “gut” feeling. And I have to be still and listen. That might be the hardest challenge.

Well, that’s it for this week. Please visit Kate’s place. You can get more information about Five Minute Friday and read some pretty interesting posts. Perhaps it might interest you enough to join in!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: What if we prayed for the murderer and rapist on death row instead of wishing they would suffer a horrible death. (Matthew 5:44)