Last night I had a date with my future companion. Don't know if that has ever been done before with the younger missionaries. I guess we are setting a new standard. Anyway, Bonnie and I went out and enjoyed each other for a few hours. Of course it included eating. Afterward, shopped for a few, ate, then we sat and talked about the upcoming six months. We talked about our children, their lives and ours.
But most importantly, we talked about feelings, fears, conditions, our plans for half a year, our goals mentioned in this blog, and many other things. (I was afraid that they were going to kick us out of the restaurant because we sat at the table for so long.)
We haven't done that for quite a time. It was refreshing and enlightening. My companion has different fears than I do concerning our mission. She has different concerns. She anticipates it differently than I do. I listened with an open, hungry mind and it reminded me how much I need to know her concerns and her worries about the road we are on, and about leaving for 18 months.
She vented, shared, explained her concerns, her excitement, her anxiety about leaving her grand kids, and many more things. I found myself grateful that she would let me into her mind and heart. Knowing of her feelings helps me in my "full speed ahead" attitude, my let's go and serve 180 months, my usual methods of running faster than I should and often falling directly on my nose.
It was a wonderful night. I need to do that more often, take the time to let her talk and share what is deep within her. I need to share what is deep within my heart and mind also. How can we be one flesh, or at least be working on becoming one in His eyes if we don't do that often? Life and our circumstances and our choices have postponed these types of therapy between us. I need to take more time to repeat what happened last night, to listen and to feel as my Bonnie.
Lesson learned. Slow down and smell the roses, and listen to the bee's song, though not as that pesky little bee stings, but as he sings. Listening to my future companion is an activity I need to practice much more often. (Six months and counting.)
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