Sep 03 2024 Taking the Initiative
Punky and I celebrated 23 years of marriage last month! (Click here to read Punky’s thoughts on marriage.) We also took a few weeks to get away in Florida. I personally believe there are few things better than being able to sit in the sun, listening to the waves, and soak up the glory of God’s oceanic creation. (Punky agrees, but she enjoys the view from the comfort of the indoor A.C. ha!) We had dinner with friends, leisurely read and studied, and overall had a wonderful time away to rest and recharge.
Taking the Initiative
Something I’ve always enjoyed—and even more so lately—is noticing others and starting conversations with them. I’ve found that with a little intentionality, a conversation is easy to get going and will often open the door to talk about Jesus. This isn’t a high-pressure kind of a talk with a determined point to bring to about a specific conclusion…it’s just conversation.
Let me tell you about a few chats from our time in Florida:
Punky and I sat at the bar in a crowded restaurant one night. A young couple sat next to us and as their food was served, I leaned over and remarked how good it looked. I even asked if I could take a bite! (I was joking!) We all laughed and start chatting. It was evident these two were headed towards marriage, so I tossed out there that I’d happily marry them if they’d be willing to go through pre-marital counseling. One chat led to another, and I sent them copies of The Four Priorities and received an encouraging text in return!
At a different meal, our waitress who initially helped us came back quickly to apologize. She was newly employed and had mixed up the tables she was responsible for…turns out she wasn’t supposed to wait on us. We assured her it was no problem at all and thought nothing of it. Later in the meal, she stopped by just to say hello again. At that moment we wanted to bless her, so we gifted her a big tip even though she wasn’t waiting on us. Her eyes welled up with tears and she told us we had “made her day.” That opened the door for another conversation!
Walking back from the beach one day, I stopped to hose off my sandals and chair. A gentleman walking by said hello and then stopped when he noticed my Dallas Cowboys shirt. He asked if I was from Dallas, then told me he lives in Plano and is newly retired. I then asked, “So, now what are you doing?” He said he’s trying to figure that out, so I decided to ask him one more question. “If you could do anything you want to do, and knew you couldn’t fail, and money wasn’t a problem…what would you do?” He paused a moment and then said “We need to talk about that.” I gave him my info and told him to call me when he gets back to town. He texted that night to tell me he was looking forward to meeting up, getting to know each other better, and start discussing that question.
So, no matter where you are—vacation, work, business lunch, at the park with your kids—simply start the conversation! Be intentional. Pray and ask God, “Who needs to talk today, Lord?” Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be brave. And then start asking questions. In my experience, you’ll find most people are eager to talk and just need someone to slow down enough to notice them, initiate, and then listen. Try that, and then tell me about it!