Thank You, God, for conversations.
Today, I thank You, God, for conversations — for the simple ones, the deep ones, and even the ones that worry me. Thank You for the way words build stories between people, for how they shape understanding and connection. Even when I'm anxious or unsure how things will turn out, You remind me that conversations are a sign that people care enough to show up, to speak, and to listen. And somehow, even when things feel tense or uncertain in the moment, You have a way of helping things settle — maybe not perfectly, but enough. Thank You for the gift of dialogue, for the ways You are present between every word, every pause, every resolution.
I have a gift from God — to be relatable (I guess). I know enough, think enough, or have been through enough weird stuff that I seem to be able to jump into a conversation about almost anything. (Or maybe it's none of those things — maybe I just listen enough?) Which is a little funny because I could happily just listen to conversations and not talk. However, it is always amazing how small the world is. (I hope you can add your own stories here because it's hard to put into words just how often we meet people who know people and places we know.) Conversations and relationships help us create more relationships and networks that help us feel known and heard.
One of these connections happened recently when the church had a company from Mattoon look at our roof. The not-so-amazing part of the story is that we know many of the same people because some of my extended family is from Mattoon. The more amazing part is that this isn’t the first time we met. The first time was in Foley, Alabama, at a tire shop. We had both had tire damage — oddly enough, since he worked for a roofing company, I had a roofing nail go through the sidewall of my truck tire. As he was sharing his phone number, I realized I had to ask him if he was from where I was from (we had the same first six digits). Long story short, we met a few states away for the first time about four years ago, and just happened to meet again about a week ago — and the conversations continue.
Conversations aren’t always easy. Sometimes they want to turn into arguments. But I try to remember that emotions in a conversation are actually a good thing because it means people care. The complicated part is that sometimes the emotions are coming from something unrelated, or from a simple miscommunication — but that’s what conversation is for: to try to see where one another is coming from.
Just for fun — do you want to hear what my least favorite kind of conversation is? Delayed conversations. If you want to drive me close to insane (maybe all the way), just tell me you want to talk tomorrow without sharing what it’s about. I could blame it on having a guilty conscience, being one of three brothers, or who knows what else. I’m not really a worrier, but for some reason, this makes me worry. Yet, it usually turns out okay. A conversation does need to happen. God is in it with us. And every conversation is a chance to communicate more fully and grow in relationship — with one another, with God, and with the community we are part of.
How have conversations helped you feel more connected to God, others, or the community around you?
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