COMMUNICATION TO LEARN

I just got back from making the round of my sick "aluminum patients".  In the process, I stopped and chatted with an electrician and had an interesting conversation with him.

We started off with small talk on some common things and it then progressed to some mild politics, then to more serious politics.  Finally he started to open up alot more - he wanted to get something off his chest.  He started telling me he believes there will be a collapse in this country in the next year or two and that his mother and father and several siblings are "digging in" in the Reno area.  Doing all the same stuff I am doing.  People out there are VERY worried.  These are every day run of the mill people that (he admitted) would have laughed someone like me out of the place a year or two ago before the lights kicked on for them.  He asked me what got me lit up - I did not tell my whole story, but I mentioned NDE's as my kick-start.  I asked a few more leading questions to probe where he was at.  I have known the guy casually for three years, but it was always just a passing hi as we went about our different duties.

He then opened up and told me that he was an atheist until two weeks ago.  His girlfriend had seen a ghost in their apartment - and he had then witnessed it.  He asked me several questions and I shared some high level information that I had about that kind of thing.

If you ask people the right kind of questions and show genuine interest in them as your brother or sister, amazing things can be learned.  Sometimes we like to only talk about ourselves - I am horribly guilty of that; this blog is proof of that innate need to tell the world about ourselves.  I have to say, though, the most amazing things happen when you ask people simple leading questions.  My wife has taught me that trick - and it really does make life interesting.  We are surrounded by fascinating people - we just have to learn how to tap them for their amazing life experiences.  Usually, we can learn more than we can give.  When it comes to sharing the gospel, it is never a full frontal assault that opens the heart - in fact, that usually has the opposite effect.  Sometimes the best way into a heart is by simply loving that person so they know you are safe to talk to - and that you will not recriminate if they reject your message because you truly love them for who they are, not what they are.  IF we are filled with the Spirit, they will feel it spilling over into them and will be drawn or attracted to you - to have what you are manifesting.  As Joseph said to Brigham when he returned to give him counsel while Brigham was in Utah, the most important thing we can get in our lives is the Spirit.