Who said animals don't have spirits?
Today gave me hope for the reasoning behind me not getting a job during this prep. phase for our launch in January. For some reason I feel like I'm not supposed to get a job and that makes me look unmotivated and lazy. It looks like I'm not seizing opportunities but I feel like this is prime time for me to be connecting with people.
For the last little while I've been trying to work on "friendliness". Yes, I know. I look like a grouch and I'm ticked off most of the time. But I'm not. I guess I've just lived so much of my life not smiling that it doesn't come natural. Tim Sanders says that people need to lower their standards for smiling, so that's what I'm trying to do. And my attempts have been quite successful.
I have to admit, I am not a fan of meeting new people. It scares me. I'm not good at starting converstions and don't have that natural charisma that some people do when it comes to guiding the conversation. It usual ends up with me looking like a deer caught in the headlights, breaking out in a cold sweat and my mouth drying up, all leading up to the climax of me looking like a total freak. The people that freak me out the most are the people that look like me, grouchy and angry.
So today was my first trial with a replica of me. He sits in Starbucks every morning and drinks 3 cups of coffee or more, with the equivalent in super sized water cups. He works night shift and looks like he hates me. And I'm sure I look like I hate him. Well, this morning I figured that friendly people always initiate conversation so that's what I did. I said "hey, how's it going." Way to go all star! What a big talker you are! You're so friendly (sense the sarcasm in this self bashing). So now I feel like an idiot. He was friendly back, but that's where it stopped....for the moment.
All of a sudden he speaks up! Then he won't stop talking! We're talking about God, reincarnation, cats with spirits that go to heaven, his dating life and the list goes on and on! I couldn't believe it. I was tempted to let my old school pentecostal side come out and tell him he's going to hell if he doesn't repent today. TURN OR BURN SUCKER! But I refrained. I just listened. And now I bet when I go in there tomorrow to try and get some work done, I won't get an ounce done.
Is it possible that a Christian who listens to other peoples' stories and doesn't bash them and shove God down their throat could be contagious? This guy knows who Jesus is. He just chooses to believe everything else too. I have to believe that when Jesus says "seek and you will find", that he meant it. I've made it my priority to live contagiously around this guy and lead him (without him even knowing it) to ask, seek and knock. Maybe, just maybe, my God is big enough to open the door without me kicking it down for him.
For the last little while I've been trying to work on "friendliness". Yes, I know. I look like a grouch and I'm ticked off most of the time. But I'm not. I guess I've just lived so much of my life not smiling that it doesn't come natural. Tim Sanders says that people need to lower their standards for smiling, so that's what I'm trying to do. And my attempts have been quite successful.
I have to admit, I am not a fan of meeting new people. It scares me. I'm not good at starting converstions and don't have that natural charisma that some people do when it comes to guiding the conversation. It usual ends up with me looking like a deer caught in the headlights, breaking out in a cold sweat and my mouth drying up, all leading up to the climax of me looking like a total freak. The people that freak me out the most are the people that look like me, grouchy and angry.
So today was my first trial with a replica of me. He sits in Starbucks every morning and drinks 3 cups of coffee or more, with the equivalent in super sized water cups. He works night shift and looks like he hates me. And I'm sure I look like I hate him. Well, this morning I figured that friendly people always initiate conversation so that's what I did. I said "hey, how's it going." Way to go all star! What a big talker you are! You're so friendly (sense the sarcasm in this self bashing). So now I feel like an idiot. He was friendly back, but that's where it stopped....for the moment.
All of a sudden he speaks up! Then he won't stop talking! We're talking about God, reincarnation, cats with spirits that go to heaven, his dating life and the list goes on and on! I couldn't believe it. I was tempted to let my old school pentecostal side come out and tell him he's going to hell if he doesn't repent today. TURN OR BURN SUCKER! But I refrained. I just listened. And now I bet when I go in there tomorrow to try and get some work done, I won't get an ounce done.
Is it possible that a Christian who listens to other peoples' stories and doesn't bash them and shove God down their throat could be contagious? This guy knows who Jesus is. He just chooses to believe everything else too. I have to believe that when Jesus says "seek and you will find", that he meant it. I've made it my priority to live contagiously around this guy and lead him (without him even knowing it) to ask, seek and knock. Maybe, just maybe, my God is big enough to open the door without me kicking it down for him.
