A woman tells her husband, "GO to the store; LAY DOWN the mulch; GET the kids from school; rent SOME videos, and finish the REST of the dishes." You can figure out what the husband hears.
I recently concluded that we should learn to smile when we are asked to repeat a message. God does. He smiles when he says, "I forgive you." We know how often He has to do that!
I have seen the unfortunate situation where requests for a repeat result in a louder and irritated tone of voice. I come from a big family, so I can use this example safely. But think about it! Whose fault is it if the message can't be heard the first time? Learn to smile!
Repeating has its advantages. Comedian Chris Murphy tells us Frank Sinatra was asked how he can sing the same songs over and over again for so many years. "They're not the same songs," Sinatra said. The audiences are different.
Chris Murphy says jokes get better with age, like wine. You have to repeat them. That's why they call it an act! Re-reading a book again can give you different meanings, Murphy says.
Over the years God repeats many bible passages to us through the written and spoken Word. Surprisingly, we still get new meanings and messages if we are finally listening.
And that is the key to love and success. If the other party is finally listening and asks, "What did you say?" Now is the time to use the gentle smile and add the love that might have been missing in the first place.
