UMC20181216 1000 small cuts

Blogs MOC

UMC20181216 - 1000 small cuts¶

I think books are just one of the best tools for expanding our minds. There is something about wrapping an idea in a story that sings to our soul. We are built for stories. I recently read a book by Paulo Coelho called "The Zahir". It is a strange book about how a wife leaves her famous author husband in search of the meaning of love through her work as a war correspondent (I definitely should not write book reviews).

There have been countless takeaways from this book about how powerful the sharing of our burdens can be; about how we must never let go of adventure in our relationships; about how God can talk to us through unexpected events; yet one scene, in particular, has stuck with me. The scene is a flashback moment where the main character is searching for memories of what could have gone wrong in his marriage. In the flash back, the couple had spent the whole day at important author events (book signings, a dinner with publishers etc.) and were walking into their home. The wife tried to share an interesting story about her journalism and the husband counters with a well used line in their marriage, “Let’s talk about this tomorrow, I am quite tired”. She was distraught by this small act, yet it was the countless tiny disinterests which resulted in her leaving...

In our spousal and family relationships, it can be incredibly easy to dismiss one another while we are moving through the routines of life. Most of the time, we are unaware of the little acts that can push those close to us away. It really made me reflect on how important active listening can be in marriage, I am as guilty of this as most…

It is all about the small things!

During the December period it will be excellent practice for us to listen to our loved ones, to renew our interest in their interests and to give of our time to our families. The only way to build relationships is conscious and thoughtful time spent together. How will you spend this season?

Clifton