It is so nice to have the windows open and the fan bringing in the cool morning air after so many days of smoke and heat. I know this is likely temporary for the wildfires still rage around this valley. For today, I’m very grateful.

I had a moment of awakening yesterday late afternoon. I was starting the last counseling session and asked the young man how he is doing? His response was what awakened me. He told me I had deeply hurt him last week with a statement I’d made. I was asking him to consider something about a past action regarding him and a relationship which had ended. He took my question as an insult that had hurt him all week long. As soon as he told me it had made him angry at me, I then recalled several months ago taking him through some material regarding his being highly sensitive. Well, this characteristic showed itself from my own approach. We talked it through and I apologized for my own lack of sensitivity. It isn’t that i should not have asked the question, but my approach to it could have been more gentle.

I was glad he was able to tell me what he did. That was a big step for him and it was also a good learning moment for myself. I felt as though it was my own counseling moment! God is just never through teaching us. I don’t care how old I am, I want to be a good student of God’s teaching.