For others when we know a little better, when we first meet them- we exchange pleasantries. "How are you?" "How are your parents?" "How are your children doing?" " My are they that old? Time does fly." Sometimes these little pleasantries will develop into a more meaningful conversation but mostly we are being polite.
With family, we can communicate freely to a degree, but if you have been hurt by a person, or you have hurt someone yourself. The communication will be absent trust. Trust is an integral part of communication. If you cannot trust a person, the wall goes up to protect yourself. I found after I lost my immediate family that suddenly there was no one to share memories of walking on the roof of our house or the thanksgiving the oven door locked, I am now the only one who is keeper of those memories.
But the best communication is the communication between good friends. When I am with one of my good friends, I let that wall down. I can laugh and be silly and quite frankly there is so much joy in that kind of laughter. It escapes from your heart. I can discuss things that I am pondering- I love to weigh and figure out things, and discussing this with a friend who may hold different views from me can often widen my horizon. It is with my friends that I have shared the depth of my sorrow, and since sometimes family members also become friends- we have often the deep sorrow for the same person lost to us. It is that trust that friends have that makes communication the best.
Jesus told us- "I am your friend." HE wants us to come to him with our joys and our sorrows and those ideas we are trying to understand, and yes our silliness. He wants us to trust him as we trust our dearest and best friend. So when I pray, sometimes I tell him about the fun I had that day and thank him for it, and sometimes when I have seen something really lovely- I say, "Jesus did you see how lovely that sunset was?" I know he did, but remember this is not communication with those you work daily or those you exchange pleasantries- this is communication with a dear friend.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you for being my friend for understanding me. Thank you for filling me with Joy and thank you for sharing my sorrow.
Love ya,
MET
AMEN