Communication Part 1

  Communication is a wonderful thing, when it happens! In other words, communication does not happen naturally or easily. It is an art that takes lots of work and practice. Often, I find myself in a world of hurt because I failed to communicate, or something was sorely lacking in my communication. If you are like me, sometimes it seems futile to try to express myself since the labor I have put into it often falls flat. May the Lord help us not to give up in trying to master the art of communication. He can assist us with expressing ourselves with right words, at the right time and in the right way. He has given us guidelines to help within the pages of the Bible that will aid us when patience is running thin, or when weariness is setting in. No one frames their words perfectly, so let’s have some forbearance with one another, and think the best of each other in this demanding and often frustrating process, called communication, of which we cannot and dare not do without.  

  I am so thankful that many people have shown me grace when I have not communicated with them (most of the time unintentionally). You have been there, right? You spoke with someone about a particular topic of discussion and thought that it was communicated with others as well, but you came to find out that you only thought that you talked with everyone about the topic. In this day of so many means of communication, we often find ourselves missing out on texts, emails, etcetera, ad infinitum, ad nauseum because we either used the wrong platform for communication, someone was not on the list, the message went to the spam/junk folder, or a myriad of other scenarios by which communication fell through the cracks. Please remember that we are to forgive others not just 7 times, but 70 times 7 times (Matthew 18:21-22)!!  

  Timing is crucial in making sure of proper communication. I am not just talking about the exact time of speaking with someone (although when a person is tired is not a good time to discuss things). We must also take into account how early we make something known. Often, we speak hastily, without forethought, and in the heat of the moment. It could very well be that a person is not ready to listen to our communication, or they may hear it in a convoluted way because emotions are clouding their thinking. “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath” in the context of “speaking truth” as Ephesians 4:25 and 26 means for us to as soon as possible to resolve a matter, but not to jump into a conversation with someone too soon before the truth can clearly be expressed in love (Ephesians 4:15).
 
Proverbs 29:20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.