“Kayla! Kayla! I need to tell you something!” The five year old exclaimed, her eyes looking urgent. She seemed bursting to tell me her news. Her long, curly black hair swept down her back, her hands motioning in her excitement. The second I asked her what she wanted to tell me, she went into an explanation about the movie Strawberry Shortcake, as if it was the most important thing in the world.
To me, it seemed like a big buildup for something so little. To her, it meant everything. She felt what she had to say was important, and she wanted someone to listen.
Recently, God has been impressing upon me how important it is to show love for people by listening to them. And not just by hearing what the person is saying, but truly listening--caring about what they have to say, praying for them about it, and following up with it, as a way to show them your love and God’s love for them.
That kind of listening can be hard. It takes time and effort. You have to work towards it--it doesn’t usually come naturally. And sometimes, it gets really discouraging. It doesn’t feel worth the effort to listen. But, when you have the ability to show God’s love to someone through listening to them, isn’t it worth it?
Kayla Joy
