Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.
—Proverbs 20:12
B.R. was a great guy and a super-successful businessman. Misjudging his seeming focus on the lesson, I called on him to comment, yanking him out of a coma-like state. Embarrassed, he said, “Joe, I’m so sorry, I was thinking about a project over in Scurry County.
I know the feeling—I’ve been in assemblies where my body was present, but my mind wasn’t.
In personal relationships, I’ve also been in that boat: there, but not there; present in body, but absent in mind; hearing, but not listening. This bumper sticker caught my attention: “My wife—or daughter—said I don’t listen to her.”
In one-on-ones, nothing is more disrespectful than not listening.
The self-centered are lousy listeners.