Will I Ever Learn

I’m doing it again.  Thinking I’m right, thinking that my opinion is the correct one.  I have a friend facing a big challenge and my knee jerk reaction fires off thoughts in my head…

“Well, just _____ ______ ______ _____ !”

You fill in the blanks, it’s whatever we say to those coming to us for comfort when we are opinionated women.  It doesn’t matter what we say, it will hurt because they came to us for comfort, not advice.

Just because I have a thought in my head does not mean that God agrees with me. This is a harsh truth.  I’ve blogged before that “Unsolicited advice is criticism” and it is.

The hardest thing as women is to listen. Period. As a gender we HAVE to talk, so as we listen we are organizing the comeback in our minds. Okay maybe not all women do this, but alot do.

 To just listen is a precious gift we can give to our friends and loved ones.  Whatever they’re facing, they will figure it out, you can pray for God to have access (total access) into their world to navigate their mind, will and emotions to make the best decision they can.  He will do it, He will show up.

Oh, will I ever learn to just keep my mouth shut?

I have a co-worker that is ALWAYS encouraging, she says we must always have a “HEART OF HOPE” to give love to others, and trust me she has faced enormous tragedy in her lifetime but she is a picture of grace when she is involved.

She always makes the situation better, never worse.

How many of us can say this about ourselves.  Do we make it better? Advice is fine if it is asked for and warranted especially if sin is in the mix BUT – always remember this….

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12