A day of good conversations

Today is my sabbath and I have to be across town tomorrow, so I decided to come across town early and stay with my grandma. I spent the morning at the mall (something I NEVER do anymore) and started with a conversation with a very nice Armenian/Syrian man at the men's store. The conversation started because another man walked by and greeted him in Arabic ("saba-hal-hair"), so I asked where he was from. He said Syria, and I asked where and he said Damascus. I told him I had been a few years back and that got the conversation rolling. We talked for easily 20 or 30 minutes, which was fun.

Then I kept wandering through the mall and one of the cart guys stopped me to brush my boots. Typically I am a COMPLETE sucker for these kinds of people/sales. Hook line and sinker. And I am learning this about myself, I must practice greater self-restraint. He was having a slow day and trying everything he could think of to make the sale and finally he asked what I do. So I told him, and then that totally shifted the conversation to him and how he used to play in a band at a church, but stopped going, and doesn't go anymore, but does send his tithe "so [he] won't go broke". What?!?! I called him on that and we talked about working on our relationship with God, how Sundays aren't the only day for church, and what his heart wanted for God. It was cool to have that conversation with him, and so unexpectedly. We talked some more and I asked what I could pray for for him and then he did the I-gotta-get-back-to-work-or-you're-gonna-make-me-cry bit and I went on my way. (I know, I could have pushed, but he even physically walked away which said he wasn't ready to go there).

Then I had lunch with a friend from college whom I haven't seen since college. It was SO good to talk with her and she too needed to share. She cried and talked. (Can I just say I LOVE tears? I love how genuine they are. I love how real that expression feels to me).

And then I came on to my grandma's house and am enjoying talking with her. Which I am off to do some more of.