How many times in the past month or week have you talked to someone you’ve never met? Not just “Hi, how are you”, but actually sat down and spent time with a stranger to get an insight into their life…
Being somewhat of a shy person especially when I was younger, I never deliberately or voluntarily put myself into positions where I would have to converse with strangers.
While I always wanted to make new friends, engage with new people and form new relationships, my partially introverted personality compromised my intentionality to engage.
When I was 16 years old I went on my first ever mission trip to the Solomon Islands. Being my introverted self, I knew I had to change in order to enjoy this mission trip. I really had to “cast all my anxieties on Him [Jesus]” (1 Peter 5:7).
While I was there, I was pleasantly challenged to engage with particularly the women and children of the community, and my shyness quickly faded. The kids quickly became very attached, and even though they didn’t speak much or no English, just being in their presence and playing with them changed my mindset. I went from being quiet and shy, to intentionally putting myself in situations where I could engage with others and build a relationship with people of different ages, culture, tradition and lifestyle.
Our lives tend to get so busy that we often get caught up in our own bubble that we don’t engage with other people. We get so tied up in our devices that talking to another person ‘in person’ is seen as old-fashioned. You only have to jump on a train or tram to see everyone with headphones in, or on their phones. Barely anyone having a conversation.
We, both young and old, often get so engulfed by the materialistic, technological and earthly things in life that we ‘forget’, or we purposely ignore how we can be intentional about how to converse with other people.
My challenge to you: Make it your mission, this week and this year, to put yourself out of your comfort zone. Intentionally make yourself available to opportunities to engage with new people.
WRITER: Julie Pavaday, attends Plenty Valley Church.