Seeing With God's Eyes

Sometimes our spiritual leadership begins in what we do and how we respond more so than what we say. I had a male client coming with his girlfriend who could be a real bear so to speak. He was a big guy who was grumpy, tired, and agnostic. His language wasn’t the cleanest and his philosophies on parenting and handling difficult people were less than kind. He didn’t wish to pray at the conclusion of classes, and so I didn’t pray. I learned that silence was a better response in reaction to some of his outrageous comments. I also learned how to laugh with him, even at his own expense in a jovial way. He was coming so often that I could now read him and know when I could relax the conversation, turn it another direction. I believe there grew some respect there for me on his part.

One video mentioned church as a priority for your children, to which he disagreed. I calmly told him that even though he may have had a bad church experience, not all churches are “bad.” He didn’t disagree. And he didn’t continue to argue. 

Even though he had said earlier in his girlfriend’s pregnancy that he wanted a boy, his daughter was born fittingly on Father’s Day. And during the first appointment, after she was born, he could not stop showing me pictures of her on his phone. And then, he started to share some things about his life that helped me understand him more. 

He mentioned his mom put him in anger therapy as a 12-year-old. I managed to get him to explain why she thought he needed it. He said, “because her crack addict boyfriend was beating the **%$ out of her all the time and I had enough and punched the “&**&%#.”

From that moment on, I have committed to serious prayer for his salvation more than ever.

God showed me the little boy still inside this outward facade of a big, scary bear. I literally wept on my bathroom floor at my house that night as God prompted me to plead for his salvation. I have no idea what words God will or will not give me. I have no idea what actions I may or may not need to take. But God knows his heart and the wounds that are still very raw. I’m merely planting seeds here. God knows what will take root.  ·

By Tabitha, Client Services Director