Why is it when someone asks us how our weekend was that our typical response is that it was too short. The same answer is spoken when someone asks how our vacation was or our summer. Instead of responding with the fun filled moments we diminish our experience by simply stating that it wasn’t enough. The truth is the weekend always has the same amount of hours none are longer or shorter than others. Of course there are those three and four day weekends that occur but even then our response seems to be that it wasn’t long enough. Leading with a negative rather than a positive is just how we think. But if you asked us if we were a glass half empty or a glass half full kind of person, most of us identify with the positive~half full mentality.
What if we flipped our script on not only how our weekend was but on all circumstances we encounter? What if rather than giving the first, quick, negative response, we intentionally thought of a moment or event that was such a gift? How was your weekend? Hmmm on Saturday I took a ride with my grandson who is fifteen months old. He made me laugh when he put his french fry between his toes and then pulled his chubby foot to his mouth and ate it. Of course my response encouraged him to eat all his fries that way. Yes, I did give this sweet baby fast food on our outing.
Why do we ask each other questions about themselves? Do we genuinely wasn’t to know about their lives? Or is it just a conversation that isn’t supposed to connect us with details. When we ask someone how they are doing, we just want a pat answer of okay or great. We don’t want to know about the headache they are pushing through as they go about their day. We don’t want to know about the phone call they got this morning about their grandson in the hospital with asthma. We just ask to get past them in the hall on the way to our office or classroom.
Pastor Shawn once said that when he was in a hurry in the grocery store, he would put his cell phone up to his ear pretending to be on a call. At first, I judged him for that. But the truth is it kept him on track time wise and didn’t hurt people’s feelings that he didn’t stop and chat. Isn’t our quick, meaningless questions and answers the same? We don’t really take the time or have the time to engage and connect with one another. Perhaps the standard answers are enough. Luckily, we do take time with our own circle of people to dig a little deeper. But maybe we should pay attention to the reaction of those passers in the hall and in the grocery store aisle. We should try to notice if they need to share more. Perhaps we are just the person to listen and make a difference in their day and circumstance. By the way, I am doing great today. Thanks for asking.
In Him,
Joyful
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