Talking to Strangers

Jul 15, 2024 | Connection, Encouragement | 0 comments

I’m a fan of talking to strangers. As an extrovert who travels on her own, I have no choice. You can only talk to yourself so much before they come to put you away.

Here’s the thing about strangers. They’re probably more like you than you think they are. And maybe, just maybe, they have something to say that you need to hear. And vice a versa.

Blessed by Three Encounters

I had two—no, make that three—encounters that blessed my heart on a recent travel day.

The first three hours of the day were frazzled and frenetic. I missed my first alarm, and woke up to my “you should be leaving now” alarm an hour later. The morning went from bad to worse, until its downward spiral was interrupted by the patient kindness of a shuttle driver. I almost omitted this first encounter. But I couldn’t, because the day took a subtle turn for the better on that shuttle.

My seat partner on the plane was a young man traveling with his wife. He was on the cusp of a new adventure—in that transition from carefree couple with no kids living in a downtown loft, to family man in need of more bedrooms and a yard. New town. New job. New home.

Then I had a long enough layover to grab a bite and a drink. And I met Kyle—another young man facing a new adventure. He just finished college. And the adulting he’s planned and prepared for all of his long life is here. We chatted about life in that way that only people who will never see each other again do.

Strangers or Friends?

I’m so grateful God put shuttle-guy, plane-guy, and Kyle in my life today. If you know me at all, you know that those guys are no longer strangers to me. Someday, I’ll be telling a story and refer to one of them as “a friend of mine.” Never mind that I never got plane-guy’s name and didn’t have a complete conversation with shuttle-guy. That’s just the way I am. You impacted my life or even just my day positively? I’m going to call you friend.

Here’s what talking to strangers did for me today. I’m not frenzied or frantic anymore. And I’m oh-so hopeful for our future as the two young men grow older and increase in wisdom and responsibility.

Hope for the Future

If you’re stuck in a “going to hell in a handbasket” view of this world, I highly recommend talking with a stranger. If not that, maybe with a younger relative or a recent graduate at the church.

God is in charge of the future. And he’s raising a whole new generation to live in that future and lead us.

I’m good with that.

Traveling in Grace,

Christi

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Ride along with Christi and share her God moments, conversations with strangers and friends, and the struggles and blessings of living on the road. You’ll see God at work, be strengthened by Scripture, and encouraged to join in as a travel companion with your comments and concerns. The Come Alongside Blog (CAB) is the heartbeat of Come Alongside Ministries (CAM)—where you experience the thump-thump-thump of life along the way.

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