Gentle Listening

Julia Cameron says, Walking in this world, we do not go unpartnered. We do not speak our prayers unheard. There is someone or something listening with the most tender of hearts. As we open to our inner life, our outer life also shifts. Lives are transformed by a gentle form of listening that is like walking with a cherished friend who listens [to us]. Julia Cameron, Walking in This World Page 5

If we walk alone, whether it is in the countryside or in a town or city, we may find ourselves talking to God as we walk. It is the kind of talking we do with a friend when we have a problem and we need someone to listen. This talking and responsive listening is a way to get troubling thoughts sorted out.

Our words, though not spoken out loud, do not go unheard. The listener, the one that I call God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, listens to our thoughts and prayers as one who cares deeply for His children. Whether our prayers are about an illness that has come upon us, some relationship difficulty that we are going through, or some passage in our writing that we can’t seem to get right, God listens quietly and gently so that our concerns get sorted out while we walk and pray.

The listener does not necessarily tell us what to do but, by allowing us to talk without judging us, we are enabled to find the right path that leads us through our difficulties and into a good conclusion.

© Judith Lawrence