When I meet someone for the first time
And I shake that person’s hand,
I touch his life in a physical way
That says, “I know you’re there.”
But my prayer is to learn to listen
To just what he thinks and how he feels–
So I may learn to touch his life
In a way that says, “I care.”
About this Song:
Shaking hands is the most common way for men in our society–often women, too–to greet one another. Especially the first time they meet.
A handshake is a formal greeting, though. Nothing at all like a hug or a peck on the cheek. Those are greetings we reserve for people we know well and care about.
Nonetheless, a handshake allows one person to acknowledge the existence of another one–and the second person to return the acknowledgement. But it’s a purely physical greeting.
No emotional involvement is at risk. A handshake doesn’t mean that one person cares about the other. Learning to care–especially to care deeply–is apt to take many contacts beyond the initial one.
If we listen to what people tell us–especially on an ongoing basis–they will discover that we care. Then they’ll be more willing to open up to us and permit us to minister to them in ways we couldn’t do otherwise. It’s one method of giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.
Jesus told us that what we do for others we are doing for Him.
But the hard part is being quiet and listening. All too often, we want to be the ones sharing our problems with others. How much more effective we are as Christians when we close our mouths and open our ears–and our hearts.
Your comments are welcome.
Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song.
Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.
Best regards,
Roger
Links you might be interested in:
- Roger’s other blog, On Aging Gracelessly
- Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
- Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
- Roger’s books on Amazon
