In I Like Me Anyway, (pages 76-78) Brooke Romney tells a story of a time when she was struggling with some difficult parenting challenges. She was exhausted, discouraged. She wanted the Lord to fix things. She prayed fervently for the Lord to send someone to talk to who would understand. She cried and poured her heart out.
Later she went to a meeting that didn't feel very important but she felt like she needed to be there. A friend was there, though she isn't a close friend.
After the meeting, she talked to this friend. After a few minutes of superficial discussion, the friend asked how she was really doing. She opened up and her friend listened. She didn't try to solve the problem but did say that things would be okay. She listened and never checked her watch or acted like she was too busy to listen. Later that evening, she dropped off a loaf of bread and a kind note detailing Brooke's good qualities. She also told Brooke that it wasn't an accident that they crossed paths. She hadn't been planning to attend the meeting, but the Spirit whispered that she NEEDED to go.
LESSONS LEARNED:
Be willing to take what Emily Freeman and Dave Butler call compassionate detours.
Be a good listener!
Even small acts can sometimes make a big difference.
Listen and act upon promptings.
Never postpone a prompting. Never suppress a generous thought.
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