The dust begins to settle!

Hey its beginning to happen!
At last, I've been here nearly a year and suddenly names, faces, people and places are slotting into place; connections and networks are making sense, if not instantly, at least without me having to work and sweat at it all the time. It is the one of the things I argue with God about, how comes he gives me this calling and not the memory for names and faces that I need to go with it. Each time we move its like a nightmare having to try and keep tabs on who, where and what people do and what they have told me. Its embarrassing and humbling, and it feels like I'm insulting the other person. I was even told once that it's because I don't care enough about people, that If I really cared I'd remember - what a load of guilt to lay on somebodies back!

However, there always comes a time when the cascade of faces and names I swim through week by week begin to take a shape and form I recognise. It is as if the dots have suddenly been all joined up and the picture becomes much clearer. The personal landmarks, the conversational links begin to make coherent sense.
That doesn't mean I still don't make mistakes, I do, but the statistical likelihood of it happening begins to reduce significantly.

Knowing and being known is important, I suppose it is another aspect of 'what is community? ' Can you be a part of any community if your face or name is not known and your voice is never heard? If no one listens, if everyone is too busy talking; then communities cease to exist, learning is prevented, and loneliness abounds.
Time to talk and time to listen. Is that why Jesus spent so much time in prayer; so he could really listen to the Father? Is that why he asked so many questions; because it was in listening to the answers he heard to the heart & soul? Was listening the way he brought people into community with him and in doing so knew and was known in a way that healed?