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Like a lot of other churches in America, we have this thing at mine called “Pastor on Call.” Basically all of us take a turn be “on call” for anyone that calls, emails, or stops by the church wanting to talk to a pastor. Typically I do this about every three weeks.

A few weeks ago I had a lady come in to talk to me with one of the most horrible stories that I have every heard. I won’t go into all of the details but it was without question one of the most intense encounters that I have every had with a human being in my entire life. I took a cue from Job’s friends and just sat there and listened to her.

For almost an hour I listened to her life of abuse and abandonment, going all the way back to when she was just three years old. She couldn’t stop crying, yelling, and cussing as she told the story of how she had been abused by her parents, her husband, therapists, pastors and so many other people. If ever there was someone with a good reason to be angry at God it was this lady.

I had no idea what to do to help her. What she was going through was galaxies out of my experience and skill set. Usually there is something that I can do; an encouraging word, scripture, practical next steps, or some counseling recommendations. This wasn’t going to cut it with her. I was terrified.

When she was all done there was a long silence. It felt like forever. As I was about to say something (I have no idea what) she said the most helpful thing of all: “Thank you for just listening. You have no idea how much that helped me. I think that’s what I needed today more than anything else.”

Sometimes just listening may be the most powerful thing that you can do for another human being. It’s not flashy or cool, but it’s more helpful than we realize.

When has just listening to someone been the most helpful to both you and them?

–Jeff