Language is a odd thing. I mean, seriously! Have you ever been to a foreign country? Try and understand what they are saying when you ask for directions in English. Try and ask for directions in their language. Sign language helps, true. But what if you want to ask where the nearest bathroom is? That might be a "wee" bit embarrassing.

This morning I got to thinking about communication. The whole premise of good communication  is based on the fact that the people involved speak the same language. But the problem arises when we assume everyone speaks "our language." And of course, they don't. And I am not talking English versus German here. I am talking something deeper. Something more substantial. I am talking about the language of the heart. The way we communicate our deepest fears and thoughts. 

I honestly think that one of the most hurtful things in this world is when we share a special feeling or desire and the person we are speaking to completely misunderstands and misconstrues what we have just said. It is hurtful and we must make a decision. Either we must keep that thought to our self from now on OR we must learn to speak that other person's language. The deciding factor, of course, is whether or not we want to make the investment in that person to learn their language, isn't it?

This concept is getting more and more relevant to me the closer I get to marriage. That will be "the day" that will set the communication process upside down for me. Oh, sure, we talk all the time. And about some very difficult subjects. But right now there is time to actually THINK about what we say before we speak. What happens when I get very annoyed at the fact that a particular chore wasn't done - to my satisfaction? How will I communicate that without alienating my husband? What happens when my moodiness rears it's ugly head and my husband needs to set things a little "straighter" - without making me take a cast iron skillet to his head? It's called communication, isn't it? And not just what we WANT to say, but what language the other person speaks. 

I sit here at my desk looking at a picture of my sweetheart grinning at me. I want to learn how he thinks. How he processes things. Just like I want him to do the same for me. But it IS a struggle to learn a new language. It's difficult to understand what shapes another person when we truly haven't figured out what has shaped us. But then I think about what the scripture says, "...as far as it depends on you, live in unity one with another." Well, it looks like I will be learning Gerald-ese real soon. I just wish there was a Rosetta Stone course for that!

Until next time,

Petra