This weekend I went to see one of my sisters and her boys.
Anthony, age 6, runs out of his house and sees a little boy walking with his dad down the sidewalk in front of their home. Anthony runs up to the little boy without hesitation and said “How old are you?” (first question)
The boy said “Two.” Anthony kept talking to him. The two year old asked my nephew what that bush was in their yard. He told him it was a plant. And that was just as a normal conversation for them as anything else was that day.
I asked my sister, “What if we did that as adults….?”
Somewhere in “growing up” we lose our ability to be childlike and talk to strangers.
I’m convinced I don’t wanna grow up if that is what growing up looks like.
Y’all know my deer accident story and how the last two times I went to the body shop, I desired to not waste my accident, right? First visit, got to share about Jesus with an older man and second visit got to give a woman a Spanish Bible.
Well, I walked into the body shop again today, as the panelling on the driver side door was coming off after the accident’s repair.
I assume there must be a reason for my 3rd visit. I looked around the waiting room to people staring at their screens.
I know we like to be engaged with humans and we like talking to people, but instead we have that deer-in-the-headlights comatose stare at an inanimate object instead.
And I though “What impact will TT have from being here? Will it matter I was here or will we all stare at our screens?”
Okay, Anthony, your Aunt TT is just gonna jump in.
I asked the ~70 year lady sitting near me with her mask on “What happened in your accident?” Marie didn’t hesitate to tell me. She mentioned that the guy who hit her got mad at her because she wasn’t letting him in and he was flicking her off, etc. The man ended up hitting her and felt horrible about it afterwards. They talked and she found out he was a Christian like she was. I think they may have even gone to the same church. He apologized and while at the scene of the accident called his wife and said he learned his lesson that he needed to just slow down.
Interestingly enough, the other person in the waiting room on his phone, stopped punching the screen while we talking. I think he was listening. Because people like to engage in real life with other humans.
I asked Marie how she became a Christian. As I asked her that, they told me my car was ready. I thanked them and kept sitting to hear Marie’s salvation story out. Sometimes it is good to just slow down a minute. Plus, I wasn’t the only one listening.
She told me how when she was about 30 and doing drugs someone approached her and asked 3 questions.
1. Are you a Christian?
2. Do you know Jesus?
3. Will you go to heaven when you die?
She realized at that point she did know Jesus and started Him following since. Her husband would come to be a believer and the domino effect started in her family.
Then she got called for her car.
She got up. I thanked her for sharing her story. I said “My story is very similar to yours. I was asked similar questions and my life was radically changed.”
Marie said “It’s good I’m not alone.”
As I opened the door to leave that body shop, I said “Nope, you’re not alone.”
Thank you Anthony for your influence to talk to strangers. May we never lose it.
