There are so many times in life when we go through hard things and it feels like nobody understands. It might even feel like no one is listening. There are going to be people who don't get it and they maybe won't even try. People love to come up with an ending to a story that is not theirs, an ending that fits their judgements. People like to tell you that the things they want you to do, the way they want you to deal with things is the right way.
They are wrong. They will not listen and they won't make an attempt to. They do not get it and they won't want to. These people will not be there when you need them. This will be frustrating and this will be hard especially in your time of trouble, but this is good news. This is the good news because these are the times when you realize who the people are to keep in your life. The people who care, the people that want to understand & listen, these are the people you hold onto and never let go.
What you don't understand when you don't try to listen to how someone is doing is how much you overlook. You assume, when you get offended about something they chose to do, that everything is about you. You are showing them that what you think and want them to do should come before their well-being. We have to take care of ourselves too. Not everything is about you, and you can't hear me. You can't hear me telling you that I am hurting. You can't hear me say how badly I just need to be around someone who cares, someone who knows the inner workings of your heart and knows that it is aching.
The problem is when you put your feelings above the needs of a friend who is at on of the deepest points of their life is you walk away from them when they need you most. The problem is you assume that I am acting differently toward you because of me, when in fact it is because of you. You assume that I am not talking to you, when in fact you just can't hear me.
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19
The truth is that I will come to you and I will need you, but all you have to do is listen.
