So I have some good news and bad news. The bad news is that I’ve been sick the last couple of days and that would be my excuse for lacking a little in the blog area. I feel a little better today after a three hour nap, but still trying to fight off this sickness before the week is over. The good news is that I’m actually on the second half of this 365 blog. I’m officially half way through my goal and only a day or so behind. God has totally blessed this little idea and used it in ways I never thought imaginable. Thanks so much for reading and supporting this idea I had.
I guess I need to catch up on yesterday first. This week is actually a huge week because it’s one of my best friend’s, Warren, wedding week. We’ve been running around trying to get everything ready and perfect before the masses come in this weekend and it’s been quite the trip. Yesterday, Warren was able to move into his new place so I went over to help a little. This will be the home that he and Jess will spend their first year together, so it was fun to share that time with him. However, before we could get to work, someone had to go pick up dinner.
Since they were swamped with boxes and arranging, I stopped to pick up dinner before I got there. I went to this little Mexican restaurant down the street and was blessed to meet Maria. She was behind the counter, but as soon as I walked up I was greeted a little differently than at most restaurants. She actually asked how I was doing and waited on a response. Honestly, I can never just let that question pass anymore. Ever since I went on a tangent about it, every time I hear it, I have to avoid it or give the real answer. So I did. Luckily, there wasn’t too long of a line.
As I told Maria about all that we had to do this week and how excited I was for my close friends, she just smiled and seemed to hang on every word. I apologized for talking too long and tried to pass off my order on her. She brushed off my apology and said it wasn’t that often that people actually answered the question. I told her it was her turn to answer. She just smiled and said how people rarely, if ever, actually ask her that question. Maria told me she was actually having a great day, but hadn’t had the chance to tell anyone yet. She had a great conversation with her sister earlier in the day and was actually going to see her for the first time in a while that weekend. Sounds like we both have a very promising weekend ahead.
I thanked her for sharing with me and told her I felt privileged to get to share in her good news. As many people that I meet and chat with that have negative things to say, it’s fun to hear someone just want to get excited and share some good news. I just told her how she made my night and I hoped that her joy would last. She said the same for me. As I was leaving the counter, I told her that I knew it would because I served a God that was good despite my circumstances. She thought about that for a second and said she needed to hear that. I kind of wished that I had pushed a little more, but I felt like she just needed to think on that for a while.
When I walked out of the restaurant, I felt blessed to get to share that good news with her. Sure, there are many of us out there that want to dodge that question because we have nothing good to say, but there are more of us that dodge it because we believe no one wants to hear it. There’s something about celebrating good news with people. It’s contagious. Once we get over ourselves and see the bright spots in life, it just spreads to every area. I think now is a good time to start practicing that…
