She says she would not consider herself a staunch Catholic but she has on two occasions conferred with her ‘father’ on difficulties facing her.
On one occasion, her only child was unwell. She had been in that condition for over three months. Her husband, in her words ‘only provided money for the hospital bills’.
“I wanted someone to talk to. But he would never talk about our daughter. The
sickness was hard for both of us, but I guess it was hardest on me and his silence made it worse. So I stayed after church one day and talked to the ‘father’.
He listened for over two hours. Just listening, shaking his head, asking me questions and encouraging me to tell him what was going on at home and with the child. When we were done, he prayed for me and I went home,” she says.
That was it. But Gladys says that she went home feeling lighter, and more confident about the future.
How so? Was it the prayer?
She shakes her head vigorously, “No, it was not the prayer. It was the fact that he listened to me pour out my troubles.
That is what made the difference. It was a simple act but my husband couldn’t do it. He avoided talking about our sick child but the pastor didn’t.”
Listening and talking: The two things that ordinary men are so incapable of engaging in, especially with their wives and girlfriends, happen to be among the things that women find attractive about men of God.
Whatever the time of day, whatever the circumstance, the man of God will always make time to listen and to throw in his thought and his spiritual words to any person who needs it.
Most of the time, it is the women who approach them with their problems and the men of God don’t disappoint.
The men of God throw in something else – they empathise with the women as they listen to their problems and help them search for little solutions to their issues.
Be it spiritual, financial, emotional or career-related, the men of God will have something soothing to say.
Discussion about this post