Moving Beyond the Checklist

In my life, sometimes, I get a load of insight from God. That is what happened on Sunday. To sum up my Sunday experience, I went to church. I saw the back of the man I really don't like. I listened to a hilarious talk on service delivered by my daughter. (She gets it from me. We are funny. And occasionally humble.) I heard an absolutely beautiful rendition of My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. (Funny I didn't get that the Shepherd supplied "my need of the month" until just this second. Tears. Gratitude...)

If you want to  listen while reading the rest of this post click below. 

Listening is what I did while writing this.

I heard two other talks on giving and receiving service. Then I played the piano for young to medium aged children to sing with. I talked to three people on my way out of the building about three totally diverse and enjoyable topics and then I came home and ate a DELICIOUS turkey sandwich. After all of that I got on facebook and found a link that lead me to a profound thought in a post by Glennon Melton at Momastry:

Speaking about herself and her husband, she said,"...we learned to ask each other better questions. We learned that if we really want to know our people, if we really care to know them – we need to ask them better questions and then really listen to their answers. We need to ask questions that carry along with them this message: “I’m not just checking the box here. I really care what you have to say and how you feel. I really want to know you.” If we don’t want throw away answers, we can’t ask throw away questions. A caring question is a key that will unlock a room inside the person you love." http://momastery.com/blog/2014/01/16/save-relationships-ask-right-questions/

Her words touched my heart. That was what I had felt. That is what my anger was about. So I now ask myself what do I do with this knowledge and understand.

Perhaps I should make copies of the quote into paper airplanes and toss it at my man's bald spot.

Yeah, probably not. It would be funny, but he would likely not get the fact that I was writhing in anguish over his lack of caring for a child of God who he by all that he claimed to believe and call holy claimed to know and understand multiple times from that blessed rostrum up front. He and his family would just think that I was weird. Or that my sons were out of control. (Because why would Sister Schafer ever throw an airplane at someone's head?)

So that wasn't the answer to that quandary. I guess I will stick with disengage emotionally, reserve judgement, and breathe deep when necessary until I receive more inspiration on that front.

All kidding aside (And it is really not kidding, because I am still working on figuring out what to do with my enemy, but I only just started Alma, so I am sure the answer will come. There are a plenitude of situations about dealing with enemies in that book. -- yeah that was instant inspiration right there.) BUT I can (certainly go all over the place mentally sometimes, LIKE NOW.) Anyway this is the profound thought I have ---

Ready?

Though I really do care about people and really do try to attend when they are around me, maybe I have more I can do to connect to them.

Maybe I can ask better questions. Maybe I can remember better what they tell me. Maybe I can leave my little happy hole of personal entertainment when my family members return home from the world and engage them in conversation about how they are today, tomorrow, forever....  .. .... (Oh that makes me tired. Let's just start with today, and work from there.)

Yes I am amazing, but I can be a better person than I am today. I have it within me to move beyond the checklist of polite conversation with more than just the people I care about or that I am comfortable with. I can help each of God's children on earth feel His love for them through my actions and kind listening ear.