“To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.”

Occasionally, I watch a show with my grandchild called Family Feud. The host reads a question, and the answers from 100 people surveyed are displayed on the board. The contestants give an answer, and if it’s there, they keep going to try to win money. There’s more to it, but you get the idea. On a recent episode, the host began reading a question, and about halfway through, one of the contestants hit the buzzer and shouted an answer. It turned out the contestant had completely misunderstood where the question was going, and their answer was totally wrong. They were a bit embarrassed. No big deal on a TV game show. But in life, this same behavior can hurt people or lead to very embarrassing situations. Listening is both a skill and a gift. Learning to truly listen takes effort and time. When my youngest was about three, she was telling me something vitally important—at least to a three-year-old girl. Like many parents, I half-listened, nodding and throwing in the occasional “uh-huh.” After a couple of minutes, she started tugging at my clothes, pulling me down to her level. When we were eye to eye, she began to tell me again what she had been saying—something life-altering about her doll. In that moment, I learned a valuable lesson. I realized that eye contact, fully engaged listening, and waiting until I had truly heard everything she wanted to say not only helped me respond compassionately but also gave me the chance to offer a meaningful answer. More than anything, something in her soul was validated by my attention. It is folly—and even shameful—to answer a question without having all the information. More importantly, it is deeply devaluing not to listen with our whole heart. Today, listen well. #BeTheEdge

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬