The health of the spirit is often overlooked. I think it's important to understanding the person you are dealing with.
You can throw one pill after another to stave off or placate the manifestations of illness but a hands on empathetic approach to understanding the human being underneath it all can make all the difference.
Writing prescriptions or handing someone a pill is easy. Understanding why they are not healthy, why they are in pain or why they do things to hurt themselves is not.
Do you understand the culture of the human spirit? You may be well traveled geologically but have you ever explored the culture of the elderly, the dying, the grieving or the abused?
It requires a few things. One is exercising the art of shutting up and listening, while another is the art of setting aside time. Another is offering comfort. How long has it been since you shut up and listened without offering an interpretation of what someone is trying to say? When was the last time you simply sat with or spent time with a friend, family member or stranger? Do you give freely of your hugs? Do you find out where a person hungers and try to help him find sustenance?
Life can be fast-paced and hectic but people invite the madness into their lives. Do you chase the material stuff in life? Do you work lots of overtime to "get ahead"? Do you pay other people to care for your kids so you can chase those things?
Do you put off seeing your parents or your family? Have you lost touch with people you care about? Do you think neighbors should remain nameless behind the doors in your neighborhood? Do you find coworkers annoying and avoid most of them?
Does it make you mad to hear about old folks dying because they were cold, hungry or didn't have enough food? Does it make you angry that children are abused? Does it gripe your ass that crazy people pull out guns and shoot up neighborhoods, schools and other places?
Or, do you philosophize that people should "suck it up" and get over whatever issues they have? Do you say "it's not my problem." Or, think ........."WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE DO SOMETHING?"
Each of us can make a difference. It's time to start. You can be a hero by just being there, listening and offering the comfort of touch.
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Good perspective. There are too few listeners these days. One of things I so admired about my friend Dee that passed away suddenly two weeks ago, is that when she returned to the Lutheran Church after being away for many years because she just had too much working against her to be involved, she wanted to put "feet" to her faith. She asked her Pastor what needed to be done. They had a program of visiting the elderly in nursing homes, and Dee was assigned an individual that she didn't even know to visit. From that day on, she visited every single week and spent time with this lady and listened to her stories and her complaints and just made her life better. This lady looked forward to Dee's visit every week. Ironically, and maybe not an accident at all, the old lady died while Dee was in the hospital with the aneurysm. At Dee's funeral, her Pastor shared this information. People don't embrace the idea of servanthood. It is deemed to be a lowly place. But in the eyes of the Creator who put us here to work His will, how much more special to Him are those who use their spirits to enhance and serve the life of precious others of His children with needs that would otherwise go unfulfilled.
ReplyDeleteListening without hearing can be helpful too. A mental health counselor I knew used to relate a story of his experience on "crisis line". He was woken up in the middle of the night by a call from a distraught woman, who went on about some problem she was having. The counselor evidently drifted off to sleep during this soliloquy, but awoke at just the right time to hear the caller thank him for listening to what she had to say! I guess he was able to mumble something or other in way of response, and the crisis was over. Seemingly the spirit within got in touch with itself - fortunately there was a "crisis line" catalyst and a drowsy counselor that allowed the two to meet. Creating the conditions of fellowship with others can lead indirectly to the healing conversation with oneself.
ReplyDeleteActive listening is a good thing but any kind of listening can be therapeutic. Thanks!
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