Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, July 30, 2026
On this day at the lake, the weather was variable between brisk wind and rain. Then toward sunset the clouds broke and the wind slowed. Someone suggested it was a good time to get out on the water, and the group listened and acted. As a result, they enjoyed a few minutes of paddling out in nature.
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Proverbs 1:8
When thinking about listening, some things come to mind. We learn by listening. We can make friends by listening to others. We can calm people and solve problems through active listening, where we acknowledge and ask follow-up questions.
An interesting concept is how we can spread the good news about Jesus by listening to people. We might be quick to tell people about our strong beliefs, but what a lot of people need is for someone to understand them. When they learn that we care enough to listen, they start to understand that Jesus really cares for them too.
Just like we watched the weather to find a good time to go on the lake, we can listen to know when and how to share God’s love.