Look at Me!

Joshua avoids directs eye contact as do a lot of special needs children.  Sometimes it's just easier for him to focus and listen without having to look someone in the eyes at the same time while they are speaking.  But many people don't understand that and think that he is not listening to them or that he isn't aware of the fact that they are speaking to him.  Some people get irritated (I know I have) with the fact that he will not look into their eyes.

Why do we want people to look us in the eyes when we are speaking to them?   Isn't it more for the benefit of the person speaking than the person listening?   We want to know that we have their attention and that they are listening to us and perhaps we can read something in their eyes to reflect on what we have just said. 

When you listen to music, you are not always looking into the eyes of a musician but hopefully the message of the music comes across.  The Word says that "the things that are visible are temporal, but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting."

Maybe, Joshua wants to listen so much to what I really have to say that he purposefully looks away so he can not only hear my words, but also hear my heart.  Isn't that how we should all listen?