It mostly pertains to my marriage, as that is the most important and consuming human relationship I have.
I often (even though it feels like more than often!) repeat myself many, many times when speaking to my spouse. Eventually, when he asks me what it is that I need, I end up exhaling loudly and stammering out a I have already told you four times! before repeating the directive or thought. Now, I will say that I used to think there was a point to letting him know how many times I have repeated something, so that he would feel guilty about not listening to me that well and want to improve his listening skills.
However, not only has every wife I have ever encountered mentioned this exact same problem (it must be in the male DNA), we have been united almost five years, and I am still saying this. Basically, now I am just wasting my breath.
So, I am going to conserve my energy and spare Ricky the nagging by striking the I have already told you four times! sentence from our conversation.
I cannot help but think of my relationship with God here. How are my listening skills? And when I do ask Him what He said, I wonder what He could say -- Aidan, I have already told you ten thousand times! Yikes!
Hopefully, my small resolution will reap big (maybe even eternal?) dividends.
"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." ~ Romans 8:13b
And here is a GREAT post written by our friends who are missionaries in Haiti regarding newness.
