Back in the early- to mid-eighties my brother and I played an Apple II video game called One-on-One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird. Look at those graphics! Pretty lame by today's standards. But the game's title taught me something about relationships.
One-on-one conversations with someone can really allow them to open up and share what's on their hearts. Going for a walk, grabbing some coffee, it's all good.
Look at the example of Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus and the woman at the well, Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. He was alone with each of these people and they really had an opportunity to ask questions and to learn. One-on-one, away from friends and people who know us, can be very beneficial. Even restorative.
There are two things that really make one-on-one conversations work: the willingness of a person to open up and share their struggles without fear of judgement. That can take some time before a person feels comfortable enough to share.
The second thing that is beneficial is if the other person is a good listener and asks the needed, and sometimes difficult, questions.
Words like trust, mercy, compassion, love, grace, and honesty are some of the required characteristics for a good listener.
The cool thing about talking with someone, one-on-one, through their pain, is that at the end you both usually end up being really good and close friends.
Jesus was, and is, really good at helping others through a tragedy or storm. The hardest part is for us to get to the point where we are willing to open up to Him, one-on-one, and trust in Him. But once we do that we have a friend for all eternity.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30
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