LISTENING WITH A SPIRITUAL AND/OR AN EARTHLY MIND

Outside my Cottage-in-the-Trees Hermitage, I meet others in the Marketplace.

Because of my religious Habit, conversations in the Marketplace are opened whereas without the Holy Habit it may be closed.

Everyone I greet.  Smiles are abundant; although not always returned.  Some sneer or stare. That is OK; Jesus was spat upon and who am I to expect anything finer.

When folks share with me I put on my spiritual mind, that is, their worries and fears and stories go heaven-ward as I empty myself inside to offer a vehicle for God's grace and wisdom to flow. Ofttimes, I never make a comment or suggestion for people need to speak; need to share;  need to be heard and validated; need to feel as if someone has stopped and taken time to listen to just them.  

For me, placing my spiritual mind at moments such as above stated gives room for witnessing and experiencing the Christ in the other.  Honestly, I find and discover that I love them.  

The earthly mind is different; indeed, radically different.  The earthly mind has schedules to keep and agendas to make.  The earthly mind attempts to get something out of the conversation for themselves which they can take.  It tries to place an "I" in the way; instead, of "you".  That is ego; not the Christ.  That is Self; not God. For me, that may harm and hurt the soul at this moment in time.  

People at this moment are new blooms which are tender and fresh and their sweetness is flowering in time.  These are sacred, holy moments.  The souls are responding to a spiritual mind and an earthly mind has capability to squash and ruin.  

To not create an 'either/or' situation, this kind of listening is 'both/and'.  With practice, the weight of this listening falls upon the spiritual than earthly; however, since I am fallen and

never have the purity of motive as the Christ,  I imitate and fall short.