365 2014 Day 46 Never a Stranger

I sit across from one of my favorite friends, having coffee and watching the people. I am suddenly aware of all of them. The lady in green across the way is listening to her friend with great intention. She seems to be an amazing listener. She makes me want to open up to her too. The people next to me are talking about God. I can hear their words because of their close proximity and I am moved by their openness to talk about God in a public place. One of them is asking earnest questions of the other, and his friend is endeavoring to answer them well. The cadence of their voices soothes me. It is the conversation of friends.

The three men at the end of my table are obviously good friends. The one in the middle seems to be the extravert. Everyone at his table is drawn to him as he speaks. His eyes are kind and he uses big gestures with his arms as he tells his stories. One of them has a photography book and I am intrigued. It’s an old one, not like one you would find in a modern book store. It is weathered and well-used. The gentleman in the center catches my eye and grins so broadly it feel as if the sun just came out. He can tell I am studying them and welcomes me into their conversation. I instantly feel at ease. He introduces me to everyone he is with and he is no longer a stranger. They are all now acquaintances, and possibly someday, friends.

The thought strikes me (and I share this with my coffee date-friend) that every single person there is loved deeply and intimately by God. Every one of them has a purpose in the earth. Each one has a story. The man who seems stressed at the bar, the woman in green with the listening eyes, God made them and loves them deeply. And possibly, if I open myself up to him and ask, he might just have some things for me to do in the midst of them. It’s an extraordinary thought, and a different way of looking at a crowd of people.

It’s scary business though, opening up to people. They can hurt you just like that. However, I believe it is worth the risk.

 

I confess, I love people. I am an extravert who spends too much time alone in a house in the country these days. When I get to be with people, I can feel my cup filling up. I love to hear their stories and find the threads that connect us. I get this honestly from my mother. When I was a little girl, she talked to everyone. Everyone! She would embarrass us to no end talking to strangers at the grocery store. “Mom!” we would say, trying to control her. She never flinched. She just kept right on talking to them. She also loves people and they seem to adore her in return. She used to say that she ” had never met a stranger” and I thought this to be a ridiculous statement when I was young. Now I am just like her. I talk to everyone, and most of them talk to me. I am proud to be like my Mama.

You never know who needs a kind word. People are often hurting. Most of us are lonely to some degree. You would never know it on the surface because we don’t show it, but we are all in need of some thoughtfulness or just to be noticed. We need to know we matter.  Today, I felt this keenly. I didn’t want to go home to an empty house after church. Chris stays all day, and our little house can feel too quiet on Sundays. I stopped by the local bookstore to linger a bit longer among people. I was standing in the paperback section when a nice woman walked up and began chatting with me about the titles on the table. Just out of the blue. Before long we were talking about the recent death of both of our fathers and I didn’t feel alone anymore. We were immediately connected by our grief. Amazing how strangers can become friends just like that if you let them.

And the men at the end of my table that I spoke of earlier? They let me take their picture. The one in the middle, Terrell Clark, is a photographer too. Turns out we had a lot in common. I would love to photograph more people I do not yet know. It’s a wonderful way to make a friend.

“A stranger is a friend I haven’t met yet” ~ Will Rogers

Romans 12:15 ~”Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.” ~ The Message