I experienced something very cool last week. A pastor from Argentina stayed in our home for ten days. We did all the stuff friends would do. We introduced him to our friends. We ate together. We attended church. We told stories. We laughed and cried together. All this cool stuff and guess what??? We didn’t speak the same language. That’s right. He spoke Spanish and I spoke English. When necessary, we used Google Translate, but often we simply communicated with gestures and smiles. I felt like we were playing a ten-day game of “Pictionary.”
There were a couple of times we thought we knew what the other was trying to communicate, but we were totally wrong. That’s where Google Translate was so helpful. It got me to thinking, how often do I get the message wrong when I’m listening to a friend. That’s where a basic principle of counseling is helpful. After you hear someone tell a story, describe a situation, complain, or even compliment, repeat their words back to them. Something like, “What I heard you say is this.” “Is that correct?” Believe me, this one small habit will reap huge rewards. So unless you are amazing at charades; clarify, clarify, clarify. You be glad you did. So will they. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says that “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” He desires truth, understanding and clarity for all His children.