Sometimes when I write my blog very late in the evening my brain isn’t working very well and what I write isn’t very clear. Part of the problem isn’t just that I am brain-dead, but my vision is getting blurry late at night and I can’t read the little font on my blog program very well so I miss a lot of the misspelled words and wrong choice of words.

This morning I read the blog I wrote last night and the last sentence that I wrote was, “at least the catching part of the equation is exciting”. I asked myself this morning, “what does that mean?” I have no clue. I am pretty sure I fell asleep right there because there was no period at the end of the sentence, and it looks like the beginning of something profound that I was going to write, maybe, who knows? Some of you might suggest that it was the sardines that affected my thinking! I pray every night that in my writing, teaching, and preaching that God will work in me and help me to communicate clearly so people understand exactly what I am wanting to say.

Colossians 4:3-4
praying at the same time for us as well. . .that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

Communication is such an important skill in relationships, in leadership, and especially as a teacher of the Bible. I listen to a lot of preachers, speakers, and teachers on YouTube and on Pod Cast. I listen to Pastors who want me to coach them on their preaching, and the level of skill in communicating is all over the board.

Part of the problem is that many people are not very skilled in listening. Two people can listen to the same teacher at the same time, one learns a ton of information and the other person gets nothing. I have found in my marriage counseling over the years that communication is often the major problem and poor listening is as much of the issue as poor speaking.

But, that being said, one of my axioms as a writer, preacher, teacher is that if the people who are reading my blog or listening to me teach don’t get it, I am 100% the problem, I need to study more, read more, work harder, and pray more. It is my responsibility to communicate clearly so I am fully understood.

Some might say, “but that isn’t true, the listener has a responsibility as well.” I agree, but I can’t do anything about their lazy listening so I have to take responsibility to bridge the gap. A major part of the challenge in speaking is trying to discern while I am speaking if what I am saying is getting through. That is why I will fuss about people sitting in the back of our sanctuary when there are lots of empty seats in the front, because if I can’t see their eyes I am flying blind. I do a lot of teaching now via zoom and it is a great way to expand ministry because I don’t have to travel to Ecuador or other places around the U.S, or the world, but I don’t like it because I rarely am speaking to an audience I can see. Oh well, I will keep working and praying and asking God to please use me in my old age.