Being sensitive!

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My friend Julz called me one day and invited me to go out for a dinner together with two other friends Mercy and Letecia.

 At first, I was reluctant to go because I don’t want to leave my husband  alone one Sunday evening. But my husband was so nice. He said that it was not a problem, because I won’t be gone for the whole night. So he let me enjoyed the evening with my girlfriends. How can I not be thankful for having such a kind husband? 

Being with friends was precious. We did savored the moment being together. Talked, shared secrets and burdens with one another. Laughed of funny stories. Took pictures of ourselves that the people around us thought that we were crazy.  But the most important was eating a delicious dinner with people you like as you can see in the pictures.

                                                       Mercy and me

                                                     Julz and Letecia

                                                          Our dinner

          This morning  in my devotion, this word came into my mind: Sensitive

Am I a sensitive woman? How was I together with my friends? Have I been sensitive to their needs? To their ups and downs? Families?

I believe I am that kind of person. Very sensitive to what others say to me. To the point that I get hurt of words that were  spoken to me that were not meant to hurt me. I am also tender for words that should be spoken to me but left unsaid. Sensitive to my loved ones or friends. It is like that I feel their fears, their heartaches, their joys and sorrows. God is always reminding me that their lives are not in my hands. I must not be over sensitive for everything or  everyone or else I will have a heart that is full of heartaches.

Yes, I am a sensitive person, but the problem is I am talkative too. I talk so much that sometimes I forget to let others  do the talking. Instead, I talked for them. Not that I don’t respect them or interested in them. I just do that to entertain them. Maybe because I am a jolly fellow. However, it made me ponder that although I am sensitive to what others say to me, I am not sensitive enough to let others do the talking sometimes. Not too sensitive enough to listen to what others have to say. God is always reminding me that life in not only about my story, but everybody’s story. Everyone has their own important experience to tell. They too need to be heard, can entertain and be an inspiration. That is what I love with God. His whispering voice that guides me/us in our everyday life.

But what God says about being sensitive or talkative?

Ephesians 4: 29-32

29. Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  

What do you mean God with unwholesome talk? Words without meaning? It seems that God is reminding me/us that if we say something, it should be words of encouragement or words to build others up. Words of wisdom that those who listen to us will acquire knowledge.

Well, I am sure that if I will always remember those words from God, I will be cured for being talkative. Not that being talkative is a negative behavior. God made me this way. It just means that I will be more careful for what I say. Be sensitive to those who listen to me.

30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Well, it is the last thing we want to do. Isn’t it?  Grieve the Holy Spirit. Really?  This words reminds us to be not just be sensitive to other people, but most especially  towards the Holy Spirit, which is God.  We have just to admit  that we are all guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit many times.

How can I say that?

God said:

31. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

How many times we have been bitter for what others had done to us or did not do?  And when we are angry, we brawl and scowl and so on. We must admit that most of the time we regret what we had said in those moments.  Not only that, we seems to forget that we should not slander when we are with friends. We talked about him or her without having second thoughts. We laughed about someone’s wrong grammar or wrong behavior in our eyes. Guilty, guilty, guilty. Forgetting that we have our own flaws. It is just that talking about other people flaws temps us. 

Like these strawberries.

  From my sister's strawberry farm.

                                        

                                              We want to taste its sweetness.

Like this flowers.

 We want to smell its fragrance.

How tempting it might be, we can really survive without eating strawberries and without smelling the fragrance of the flowers. But somehow we thought that we couldn’t. It is like talking about other people. We thought that we couldn’t survive without doing it. I am not saying that we should stop talking about other people, but it should be words that inspires, that cares and something to learn about. Be sensitive with our words! That is how God meant it to be.

32. Be compassionate to one another , forgiving each other, just as Christ forgive you.

This is the most important. Being compassionate means forgiving. To forgive is to love.

My friends and I talked about forgiveness. Some of us have problems forgiving at once, while others have no problem with that. But we all agree that it is best to forgive. That forgiving builds relationship. Be sensitive to what others feel too not only what we feels. Well, I am lucky to have friends like these ladies.  It was a memorable evening and we agreed to meet again.

This flower bouquet is like us.  We are all different from each other, but together in harmony, we are beautiful. Don't you agree?

JOY