As women I don’t think anyone could deny that we love to talk, chat, natter, have a convo, a chin-wag, a catch up or whatever else we like to call it. It is part of the way we are and how we express ourselves and build friendships. I have just recently made friends with an Italian girl who is in the country doing an internship for 3 months.
I decided to show her some hospitality and take her to some very English places like a castle and a tearoom. Over cream tea and cake (how delicious) I chatted with her about my day (after asking her about hers of course). I told her about my shopping trip (I just realised that shopping can be classed as a hobby not an indulgence, and I’m not ashamed to call it this, even if I am a student on a budget); this trip included me trying on several winter jackets (it’s been so cold recently after the hot summer), only to find that I didn’t need them or they didn’t fit. Next in boots I covered my hand in tester lipsticks, only come to the conclusion that I didn’t like any of them. Then I went through 3 shops trying to choose a new hair dye, finally I settled on a colour. Good job I was on my own so that I didn’t annoy anyone in this long process.
I also had another errand on my list which was to buy resources to make posters. So this time I was in Hobbycraft (good place to go if you need a craft fix), I picked up some flower decorations, then I changed my mind and put them down, then I got another idea and kept hold of the buttons, then I got fresh inspiration and abandoned the decorations altogether! I couldn’t find the right card either which I had in mind.
Despite all of this talk, chat and natter, somewhere in the convo words of real meaning started to appear, maybe it was the calming camomile tea that did, it or rather the Holy Spirit who got involved. How it happened was that amazingly my new Italian friend seemed to be entertained by the parts of my trip I had told her and she also seemed to be interested to know what the posters were for and why I was making them. So I told her that I had come up with the idea to write words on the posters to encourage girls who live at college (a Bible college where I study) as they walk through their residential corridors. Then I decided to go a little further and tell her that these words were Bible verses and that the words would say that the girls are loved and special, and that God has a purpose for them.
I was thinking back on this afterwards and realised that sharing my idea and plans with her was a bit of a risk as I didn’t know what she would make of this, but that it was a great opportunity to speak into her life indirectly.
Now turning this to you, what ideas and plans has God given you that you could share over a cuppa with a friend? Maybe your friends need to hear some words of life, take the risk. Go on have another good chin-wag, you could be planting seeds for the future.