I’ll admit that at 40 years old, I’m not as up on apps as my younger counter parts may be. About a year ago I was introduced to Marco Polo and have really enjoyed it to stay connected to my friends during the pandemic. Marco Polo allows you to send video messages (any length) back and forth to other users. Of course, this doesn’t replace face-to-face conversation, but it does help the user feel seen and heard.
Sometimes the most precious gift you can give someone is your listening ear. Time is a non-renewable commodity! In our culture I think we are quick to speak and slow to listen. I love the notion that God gave us 2 years and 1 mouth for a reason! We should listen 2x as much as we speak.
James 1:19 is one of over a hundred scriptures that share with us the importance of listening, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”
Most people don’t want or expect us to fix their problem, they simply need someone to listen. Do you ever find yourself thinking about how you are going to respond while someone is talking, instead of really listening to them? We all do this! What if instead we focused entirely on listening to what the other is saying and trust God to give us the words to respond accordingly – if we need to respond at all!