Park, 10 Minutes of Change

Park, 10 minutes of change

10/21/2016

When I think of the word park, may things come into my mind.

Parking the car.
How my hubby likes to park himself.   As in, he's not a fellow who likes to move He likes to settle into a place and stay there.
Going to the park.

But what it really brought to my mind once I let my thoughts settle is this.

The first year we had an international student stay with us I brought him over to visit with a friends family and we went to the park to let the children play, and my friend grabbed my student off to one side and started talking with him, she understood his native tongue more than I.

As we were talking on the way home and our student had been grabbed up by one of the children, she started talking about how he was a hurt soul. How she was unable to get him to talk about what happened to him, but how she knew how much he needed God.

I remember feeling stunned that she had learned so much about him in 10 minutes.   And resolved to talk with the young man more, despite the language barrier we had.

We had a good time together.   I don't know if we ever managed to touch his heart for the Lord, but that 10 minutes in the park changed everything.

This is part of Kate's word prompt. Check it out eh?
Free writing for 5 minutes, sharing and encouraging in a good group of folks.

Christin Baker link

10/21/2016 07:35:04 am

Hello!
My name is Christin and I am new to FMF! I like your reflection about the international student at the park. It is amazing what we can learn from each other when we take the time to listen to each other. I am sure that student was greatly impacted by being in your home!

Annette @ a net in time

10/21/2016 11:32:02 am

Christin welcome. I hope he was. :) we have more to learn from each than we can imagine I think.

Mari-Anna Stålnacke link

10/21/2016 07:36:32 am

Yes. We can have a good connection with someone even without a common language. We also need to read "between the lines". Glad you were able to touch the person's life with TLC and pass on God's goodness. Thank you. Blessings to all of you!

Annette @ a net in time

10/21/2016 11:33:25 am

It's good to build connections between cultures. :)

Alina link

10/21/2016 10:34:52 am

Thanks for sharing this story, and the reminder that it's important to reach out to people.

Annette @ a net in time

10/21/2016 11:34:02 am

Thank you

Rebecca C

10/21/2016 12:03:41 pm

What a good reminder to be friendly to others.

annette @ a net in time

10/21/2016 05:18:06 pm

thank you Rebecca

Carol link

10/21/2016 03:11:41 pm

You are right! Just 10 minutes of talking can give us insight on how someone is REALLY doing. Let's choose to park ourselves in a conversation or two this week and really listen, I am sure God has people in mind for us. :)

Annette @ a net in time

10/21/2016 05:20:54 pm

I know, it's amazing...10 minutes can change a world eh? We need to grab them where we can

Andrew Budek-Schmeisser link

10/22/2016 12:56:02 am

Wow, Annette...how many opportunities do we miss because of the inconvenience of a language barrier, or appearance?

This is a deep, deep essy. Thank you.

#1 at FMF this week.

http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/10/your-dying-spouse-222-question-of.html

Annette @ a net in time

10/22/2016 10:55:40 am

Too many barriers sometimes

Lori link

10/22/2016 08:47:20 pm

Annette, as always, lovely. I appreciate so much the openness with which you share not only the good stuff but those little things that can change our own world and, more importantly perhaps, the world of those around us.

annette @ a net in time

10/22/2016 11:28:08 pm

Changing the world... it's what we are supposed to do right? Even if the challenge is hard? I have a desire to reach our current student for the Lord but he's a tough nut to crack in the conversation department. It's coming along though...he's starting to understand more, and I hope I am starting to understand him better... hard sometimes.

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