Patience and Stormy Weather

Patience, patience. Oh yeah, that means w a i t i n g.  I have a friend who has "the patience of Job", and I admire this quality greatly. He will sit, and wait, and listen, and listen some more, and then he waits until he is confident I am done talking, and throughout this listening, he will nod and maintain eye contact in an almost haunting way. It is disconcerting to have the singular attention of a friend. When it is Brian's turn to speak, he is engaging in a quietly powerful way, and I always know that he isn't  just waiting for me to "shut up" so he can talk, I ALWAYS know that he has HEARD me and acknowledges me and what I am thinking and feeling and expressing. The soul brushing that can happen during this type of exchange is extraordinary. Lately, I have heard impatience in my friends voice, there is an eagerness for change~even Job had his limits. I think of the storm we had recently, the middle of the night earth moving booms of thunder awakened many, and just as quickly, the gentle rain soothed many back to restful sleep.  Coaching is lightning flashes, gentle rain, and sometimes booming soul awakening thunder.  The combination leaves a lasting impression and sometimes you don't know that you were in a storm until you have survived one.