Conversations on Purpose

Conversations on Purpose is actually the title of a book.  Katie Brazelton is the author.

When I look up the word conversation I find a definition like this one:  the spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk.  When I look up the word purpose, I find:  a result or effect that is intended or desired.

Today I had my hair done; multiple colors of red, a new cut, and style.  When I came home my youngest son, who is twelve, said; "I really like your  hair, it frames your face perfectly."  Who knew a twelve year old boy could take that all in; the framing of a face and all!  I laughed and said thank you.  Framing things is a bit of an art form.  Framing a thought or idea with words is too.  Perhaps they won't see it exactly the way you do. That's ok.  You still want them to look at it.  For every piece of art ever created, each viewer takes it in based on their own perception.  Earlier this year I attended a field trip to the art museum with a bunch of high school students. The guide asked each one what they saw.  Many had different answers, but once someone shared what they saw, others could see it too.  When you talk about the things of God, what does that look like?  How are you framing Him?


While I was sitting in the stylist's chair listening to her brush hit the color bowl and the foil bending around my hair as she painted on the color, I found myself telling her some things I had recently learned.   She took it all in. It seemed enjoyable enough for us both.  She left me sitting alone to wait for the color to do its magic.  She came to check on me and then took me to the rinsing bowl.  Neither of us said anything at that point.  I was too busy enjoying have my head massaged to even think about making small talk!  As she took me to her chair for the cut, she came back to where we had left off, and started asking questions.  We talked through some more things and asked each other things like, "Does that make sense to you?"  Or, "I never knew that before, did you?"  I was sharing information with her not really knowing what she would do with it other than she would find it interesting like I did.  Turns out as the conversation was coming to a close, she made a comment that let me know why our conversation had gone the direction it had.  She needed the information, and I didn't even know it.  How cool is that?

Conversations on Purpose can happen every day.   There are so many scripture about speaking, or holding our tongue, always reminding us how powerful speech is.  Ask God to go before you when talking to people.  Approach each encounter as a potential for bringing God glory.  God has called us to reconciliation.  To me that means each conversation has the potential to lead someone closer to Christ or not.  Why not make it count?