Pray, Educate, and Advocate For Spoons?

Have you ever mis-communicated with someone? Maybe you were trying to do too many things at once and couldn't properly focus on the conversation? Or maybe you just genuinely heard something wrong?

Take, for instance, trying to write a research paper while having a conversation about the pictures your best friend just downloaded from her phone. Say that you are researching how to support missionaries in a foreign country while your friend is talking about how she has helped organize her kitchen. You are so focused on your research paper that you don't hear her say, "Do you think the spoons are out of place?" and instead say, "Pray. Educate. And Advocate!" "Pray, educate, and advocate for spoons?" she says. "No?" you say. But...it's certainly what you answer because you aren't paying attention.

Or, say, for instance, someone asks you to buy twelve and a half dozen eggs. You say, "Twelve and a half dozen eggs?!" She says, "Yeh. Twelve and a half dozen eggs." You say, "You're sure. Twelve and a half dozen eggs?" She says, "Yes." So you buy twelve and a half dozen eggs--150 eggs--only to have most of them thrown away because you buy way too many eggs because someone only needs 18 eggs. In her mind, she was telling you to buy 12 eggs + 6 eggs (a half dozen), but in your mind you heard twelve and a half dozen.

Communication is a tricky thing and miscommunication is very easy! So, when communicating, make sure:

1) You focus on the conversation instead of doing too many things at once.

2) You understand the perspective of the person you are talking to. Ask questions when needed.

Jesus was a good listener and communicator. Let us be the same.