I’m not really one for “getting inked.” I don’t know if it’s because I’m a wimp when it comes to pain or if I’m afraid of what the image will look like when I’m old. It’s probably a combination of both. Beyond all of that, I’m pretty sure my wife is against the idea of me sporting a tat as well. Having said that, I may have found the one thing she might actually be excited to see carved into my skin permanently.
Are you ready for it? Scroll down to see it…
Pretty cool right!? Do you know what it is? It’s the Chinese word – for the idea “Listen Deeply.” The reason I think she would approve of this as a permanent stamp on my body would be the chance that it might help me remember to actually do it. This this one word/symbol sums up everything she wants me to do whenever she speaks to me.
Here’s the break down of it’s meaning…
The word is really a combination of symbols that mean a number of important things when listening to someone.
Ear = What you use to listen (hear)
Mind – King Symbol= Pay attention as if the other person were king (obey)
Ten and Eye = Be observant as if you had ten eyes (heed)
One = Listen with undivided / individual attention (attend to)
Heart = Listen also with your heart (in addition to ear and eye) (hearken)
Ok, do you see what I mean? Guys! This is what she is saying when she asks in that exhausted tone “Are you even listening to me?” She doesn’t want to just be heard. She wants our ears, mind, eyes, attention and heart. This is something all men need to remember and apply because failure to listen results in a loss of relationship and decreased intimacy. Success in this area brings a lot of benefits – peace, fulfillment, confidence, trust, and it is the pathway for increased intimacy.
So, who’s with me? I think it might be worth the pain.
The only question is where do I place it? The back of my hand?
My wife suggests…. my forehead.
Want help improving your relationship? “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.”
~ Ephesians 5:28 ~