By Marlin Miller, Publisher of Plain Values
On a recent trip, we spent a few evenings with a wonderful family who lost a young child only a few years ago. We quickly became fast friends as we connected on a deep level, sharing the good and the hard as our kids ran and played. As we traveled home, I told Lisa there is a part of me wanting to skip all pleasantries in conversation from now on. She gently reminded me that not all folks are comfortable with jumping right into sharing deep, authentic thoughts, emotions, or parts of their lives. But this is what I long for- the kind of friendship built on solid foundations of hope only found in Jesus. My point is this… this life is so short, why do I want to spend time talking about weather that will change in ten minutes! A friend recently told me when he meets new folks and the conversation turns to work and occupation, he follows it up with this line… “Ok, you’re an engineer, but what do you really do?” I love that because it digs underneath the surface and asks a deeper question to which most folks give a very different answer.
