COMMUNICATION

This weekend, Jimmy and I are keeping our two grandchildren while our children are out of town on a, what they told the kids, a honeymoon trip. Huston, our four year old grandson, asked his mom why he couldn't go on the honey trip with them. Isn't it cute how children repeat the things we tell them in ways that sound so different than its original explanation?

Huston is four and Emery is two, and the communication with the two of them can sometimes be challenging. Huston is fairly easy. But sometimes, when he gets to talking fast, the words are very difficult to understand. Emery, is still in that two year old stage when one has to listen VERY carefully to really understand what she is trying to communicate. Often, we look to Huston, whom we call our interpreter, to let us know what she is trying to say. Usually, we are out of luck.

Tonight, when putting the kids to bed, Huston was asleep before Emery. I heard Em's little cry and went in to see what she needed. At first, from her pointing and grunting, of sorts, I knew she wanted her "Baby Mozart" music on. No problem...I was pretty sure of that need. Then again, I heard her. This time, trying to interpret her need was much different. She was pointing toward a blank wall next to her pack and play, whining a little more and saying something impossible for me to understand. I asked a massive amount of questions...do you want your Dora and Boots dolls?, do you want your milk?, do you want the little doggies in the bag?...nothing I asked was what she wanted. I even let her out of the bed and asked her to show me what she wanted. She simply stood outside the pack and play and pointed to the wall. I was very confused. FINALLY, I noticed a plug on the wall. OHHHHHH! Do you want a night light? YES, she nodded! I had begun to feel like Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher!

Communication is so important, and yet can produce one of the most frustrating and even helpless feelings one can have. Think about it...here in the US, we expect people to speak English. When you come to the US...speak English. Very few of us are fluent in any other language. In other countries, if for no other reason than geography, people are fluent in several languages. Communication with others is often not as difficult as it is for US citizens.

Communication in a language is not even as frustrating as it is with young children, or people with handicaps, those that are deaf or hard of hearing, or those who are unable to speak. Communication is most frustrating when it comes between people who misunderstand each other due to personalities conflicts or communication that is hindered by physical restraints or communication with inappropriate input by an outsider.

Communication can hinder or hurt relationships, depending on how it is given or received. Communication is vital in our lives. So why do we not put as much importance and care in the way we communicate with those we love and care for that we do about business, business relationships, networking, etc.?

Our standard of communication should be that of the Lord Jesus and how He communicated with those he came in contact with. Not just with His disciples and His family. But how He communicated with those who followed Him and even those who persecuted and tried to kill Him. Last week in our lesson on John, Jesus responded to questions from Pilate with truth, reason, and even meekness. He is God. He could have said one world and Pilate would have fallen back as the soldiers did in the garden. But he didn't. He communicated exactly what God, His Father sent Him to communicate and in an way that was to be our standard of behavior in communicating with others.

I have to ask myself. When others mistreat me, do I respond in a way that communicates truth, reason, meekness? Considering meekness, to be a strength and not a weakness (anyone can be a bully and loose control or bully, but it takes the strength of self control to be meek), how am I perceived? These are questions I must answer honestly. My Lord will be asking these of me when I meet Him.

So today, I am thankful for the standard by which my Lord lays out in His Word, directing me and guiding me to communicate with others in my daily life. These two little munchkins are an awesome reminder, as I patiently struggle to communicate or understand what they try to communicate, to do so with truth, reason, kindness and meekness, the standard by which my Lord set before me.

So thanks Ems. I'm glad I finally found that night light for your tonight! No go to sleep!