Life Mentor ~ Counselor

Ever have a friend come to you for life advice?  Sometimes they really want to hear what you have to say and sometimes they just want a safe place to share/ vent/ cry.  It takes tack,  understanding and patience not to burst forth right away with "helpful" advice.  Often it simply takes an open ear and a closed mouth.

counselor ~ (n) ~ an adviser

To counsel someone is to master the art of listening.  It's a weakness, I must confess; not listening well, that is.  I'm getting better at it.  I know that I personally don't have all the answers but sometimes it just flows out of me from an other-worldly source.   And that source is the wise counsel of Christ.   Whether one is a believer, a fence-sitter, a questioner or a nay-sayer of His claims as the Son of God, a study of Christ's life can enhance not only our own but our interaction with, and therefore the lives of, others.  He taught me that counseling someone requires an ability to know when to step back and be the "observing" adviser; when to get involved and be the "active" adviser; and when to be the "lean-on-my-shoulder-you'll-be-okay" adviser.

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:30-34)

He taught me not to judge but to share truth with compassion.