To Hear The Unheard

“Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds.” Proverbs 27:23

A king sent his son to a wise monk to be trained as a leader. Yet the monk immediately sent the boy into the woods alone, for a year, to learn the sound of the forest.

At first the boy heard only what he was used to, birds, wind, insects. But in time, he heard the sounds ‘behind’ those sounds - the flowers opening, the earth expanding.

When he returned to the monk and reported this, the monk was pleased. He said that only a ruler who hears the unexpressed feelings, pains, and complaints of the people can lead correctly.

It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives we forget those who are around us. Ask God to give you a heart not only to meet people, but the wisdom and grace to ‘know’ them and to read between the lines.