Yesterday, we talked about listening (ok, I guess I talked about listen and you…well hopefully listened…), but talking is also a very important part of conversation. It can’t be one way all the time, so what are you doing when you’re talking?
Of course, we all get the question “How are you?” and what is our typical answer? “Fine.” ”Good.” ”I’m doing well.”
But is that really the whole story? Or is that even true?
Now, granted, when the cashier at the grocery store asks how you are, it’s probably not appropriate to launch into a detailed story about your day, week or year. But when a friend at church or a neighbor asks, would it really hurt to open up and be honest?
We’ve had a hard week.
I’m feeling overwhelmed right now.
And it doesn’t even have to be all bad stuff! Sometimes we say we’re “fine” when really we’re doing AWESOME and God is really blessing us in our current circumstances. Why would we NOT want to share that??
What would happen if we tell people how we’re REALLY doing? It might feel strange at first, and we might even shock some people, but what’s wrong with that? Give it a try – just be for real!
What do you typically say when people ask how you are? Do you skim over details or share? Of course, there will always be certain people we share more with than others, but to start building community it’s important to open up. I would love to hear your thoughts!
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