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Email a FriendPosted by Andrea on Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 10:26 AM (EDT):
I am really enjoying these! Thank you, Elizabeth and Danielle.
Open Your Ears
Today's Small Steps Toward Kindness
Posted by Elizabeth Foss in Faith on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 10:00 AM
Think: “Kind listening is often an act of the most delicate interior mortification, and is a great assistance towards kind speaking. Those who govern others must take care to be kind listeners, or else they will soon offend God, and fall into secret sins.”
—Fr. Frederick William Faber
Pray: Today, Lord, let me really, really listen. Still my lips, but also still my instinct to start talking inside my head instead of truly listening to what is being said.
Act: With every conversation today, whether is is with a five-year-old or a fifty-year-old, truly listen. Don’t think about what you’re going to say in response. Don’t think about what you could be doing instead of sitting quietly. Don’t look into a computer screen and listen halfheartedly. Look people in their eyes and truly, truly hear what they are saying. Stop. Ponder. And then respond with genuine kindness.
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Posted by Michelle on Friday, Apr 23, 2010 3:26 PM (EDT):
Wow. Thank you. You have really made me think about my attitude toward listening. How many times have I caught myself thinking of something else when my husband or one of my children was talking to me? I’ve added your prayer to me computers desktop & my refridgerator so I rememeber to ACTIVELY listen!
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