Yesterday I was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready before bringing Matt to camp. Matt came up from the basement and said, “Mom, I found a fan.”

I simply smiled at him and said, “nice,” before putting my head back down to the meal I was making.

He came beside me and said, “it needs 4 batteries.”

I said, “okay” thinking we would find those later on.

He continued, “Mom, it needs 4 aa batteries.”

I paused and opened the cabinet nearby where the batteries were.

We put them quickly in the fan and I went back to making breakfast.

When I looked up, I saw that Matt had taken the fan and had attached it to his camp backpack. He had created a way for him to stay cool at camp on a day it was suppose to feel like 100+ degrees.

I share this with you in case you too find yourself brushing aside people when they say something to you. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take the time to pause and listen. When we pause long enough to listen to others, they may open our eyes to a new way of seeing things and we may just learn something from them.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“If one gives an answer before he hears,

it is his folly and shame.”

- Proverbs 18:13