A Lesson in Conversation

"A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!" Proverbs 15:23

Today we have a lesson in how to strike up a conversation with someone you maybe don't know so well. It's really very simple, and this verse in Proverbs tells us everything we need to know. You ask for advice. Not superficially or for no reason at all, but when you genuinely need it. Let's say you're thinking about putting in a tile back splash around your kitchen sink, but you've never done it before. You have no idea what's involved. But there is a man at your church you does put in tile, or perhaps owns a renovation service, but you don't know them very well. This is a perfect opportunity! It gives you an opportunity to have a conversation with someone you don't know very well, and it gives the other person a chance to talk about something they're passionate about.

You know how that goes. You can carry on polite conversation with someone for so long, but then when you hit on the topic that they are truly passionate about, it sparks something. Their eyes light up and you can just tell that they enjoy sharing what they know. So not only do you get to learn what that person knows and file it away for future reference, you may very well be drawing someone out of a shell. Perhaps that one person is considering not coming to church anymore because no one ever talks to them, or they just haven't connected. This is an opportunity to change that. And I have to believe that often times, God places those thoughts in our heads specifically to help us start that important conversation.

My husband is gifted in this. Truly. He can draw anyone out through conversation. He's excellent at honing in on what they like to talk about and then asking them dozens of questions. He probably doesn't even know that he has this gift, (well, he does now after reading this), but I have literally seen dozens of examples of my husband talking to someone, and the other person lights up just because he asked the right question.

This is one of those things to remember and keep in mind when talking with other people. Sometimes I find myself in the awkward situation of not knowing what to say to someone. Asking someone else for advice or words of wisdom is one of the best ways to get someone talking. You can't get to know someone without talking to them.