A Listening Ear

Anyone who knows me knows that if a problem is presented to me my first intention is to try to "fix it." It has taken me awhile to understand that that is not always the solution a person is looking for, and sometimes they are not looking for their problem to be fixed at all. 

This is where the concept of "a listening ear" comes in. Often all a person needs if for you to listen. They may need to vent about their troubles, or talking it out gives them their own ideas to fix their own problem. They may just want someone to confirm their own convictions, or they need a sympathetic word or kind remark. 

For ultimately you are not responsible for trying to "fix" someone else. God is the author of our stories and we are the pens to write them, but we cannot be the pen in someone else's book. We can write our own pen in their book, but we cannot be their pen. (Bear with my writer analogy...occupational hazard).

After all, being the listening ear is what helps the most anyway. It doesn't help to try to change someone or change the sufferings of someone. It is important to do everything we can to be their support system and maybe suggest ideas to alleviate their problem, but we can't fix their problem. There should be a great peace in that because listening means you are giving your full attention to that person, which very well could be the one thing they need most.