Can You Hear Me

“But I thought he/she said………..,”  “I’m sure he/she meant……..,” It is clear to me that you should…………..,”   “I disagree. I think you must………….”

Effective communication is difficult; often the message you sent is not the message received in the home, marketplace, neighborhood, or church.

Even when clearly stated or written, your words can be misinterpreted and misunderstood, especially when filtered through the sieve of your personal biases, prejudices, and preconceptions.

Whether you like it or not your personal view of the world, your faith background, your family upbringing, your educational background, your personal experiences, and your friends influence or shape your ability to communicate.

The truth is no matter how hard you try to connect well to people occasionally you will encounter a person with a strong opinion of what he/she believes.

These are the things that I learned when people misunderstood my message or judged me.

I decided to talk less and pray to God for me and the involved party for love, compassion, and forgiveness in dealing with the issue.

I listened and processed the message with my turned off reasoning ability even if it’s tough.

I soaked my heart and mind with God’s Word, praises and prayers engaging my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to clarify the issue toward resolution.

If the issue bothered me longer, my family or trusted mentor helped me sort out the situation based on the Word of God and prayers for clarity.

The more I surrender the situation to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His love and peace  that passes all understanding flows freely on my inner being. Most of the times the message were clarified and my relationship with the person involved grows stronger. Other times a healthy boundary evolved between me and  the other person due to irrevocable differences.

What matters most is God kindles the flame of love in my heart and the involved party toward harmony that glorifies and honors Him alone.

May God bless you and your loved ones. Feel free to contact me so I can pray with you.