SuperHeros & SuperPowers

I went to my friend's mission farewell talk last Sunday and in that talk he read a portion of a letter he received years ago at EFY. A girl wrote to him and told him how when she was younger she would always say that she'd marry a superhero, but that it wasn't until that year at EFY that she discovered that missionaries are superheros.

Missionaries save people.

Missionaries serve others.

Missionaries are always 'on call'.

Missionaries work for the greater good.

Missionaries sometimes lose the girl as a result.

There were other similarities but I have a faultily memory and do not recall them.

But in the end this one girl's thesis is that Missionaries are Superheros and someday she is going to marry them. Now I thought that was somewhat enlightening, and for my friend it was something that pushed him towards becoming a missionary.

The other night as I was thinking about all of this, I had another thought:

If I could have any superpower what would it be?

I thought about this for awhile as I really wasn't sure.

Flying?

Technopathy?

Talking to animals?

Super strength?

Invisibility?

I didn't really want any of these. But then I thought of one I'd probably like to have if I could have one:

Mind-reading.

Why?

Well, I would like to have it so that I could become a better listener. I think the skill of listening is so undervalued and so underdeveloped in the majority of the population. We all wish to be heard, but not many want to listen. We think that being listened to is so much more important. It means that we are a somebody. Someone who people like. We want people to know us. However, I think that in listening comes the greater power.

As we listen, we become better at helping each other. We know what to give people for Christmas without ever asking. We become someone that people rely on. We can be trusted. We can help make people's lives better in small ways.

This is why I'd like Mind-Reading as a superpower. This way when I ask someone how they are, I know what 'I'm fine' means. I will be listening to their thoughts and help that way.

Alas, I do not have the power of mind-reading, but I do have the power to be able to listen. It is something we all have, but few take advantage of.

So LISTEN.

It's a SuperPower.

I'm pretty sure Heavenly Father has figured that out long before the rest of us.