Speak.

" Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;
it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!" Proverbs 15:23

I don't know about everyone else, but I love it when someone tells me something I needed to hear. Sometimes I just need to know a little something- maybe instruction on how to do something properly. Sometimes I need some good advice from someone who may have been there before. Sometimes, (as happens often when you have a blog with a local following) I get unsolicited advice from people who are strangers to me. Yet, most often, all those conversations have a point, they have purpose, and I really have to think about that sometimes. When someone sees me at the grocery store and they recognize me from the paper, I often get food related question. Will this work? What do I think of this product? How do I make this? I love those conversations, because those are things I can answer. I love being able to help someone find a solution.

Isn't that interesting! I love it when people tell me something I need or want to hear, and I also love being able to do the same for other people. I think I should think about this more when the opportunity arises to interact. How often do we maneuver through life in our little bubble? I know I do a lot. I love grocery shopping when both kids are at school. It's quiet, and quick, and wonderful. For the most part, I ignore the other people when I'm shopping, and maybe I should stop doing that. I should think about simply smiling and saying good morning more often. People are wonderful if you just give them a chance! When I catch a glimpse of someone I haven't seen recently, maybe I should make eye contact and start a conversation instead of pretending I didn't see them and turning the corner. (As she hangs her head in shame, yes, sometimes I do that.)

The thing is, as I change on the inside, people need that opportunity to see that. My husband is the best example of that I can think of. There was a time where we didn't go to church, we were enjoying our Sunday mornings and we really didn't see a need. I clearly recall a conversation with new friends of ours about church and Andy's nonchalance about it, and his disaffection for church as a whole. That one conversation really stuck with us and about a year later we found ourselves walking in the doors of the very church that these friends belonged to. The friendship grew even more as we grew in Christ together during our time with that church. Andy has always been outspoken about pretty much everything, and these friends really got to see Andy grow. Now here we are, even further down the road, and it's incredible to hear from these friends about how much different Andy is. That difference is Jesus and the constant change he is undergoing to become more Christ-like. It's when we see people who we knew once upon a time that we really should make an effort, because these old friends and acquaintances will surely see the change and wonder what it is.

So I'm going to keep this verse in mind. As much as I enjoy sharing information with other people, imagine how wonderful it would be to share that life-changing information. Imagine the possibilities when people start asking more about God and the opportunities that could present itself. Those are the conversations I would like to have and the words I would like to speak.