Chat?

Do you recognize the difference between talking to or having a conversation with someone?….Talking to sounds like it can be deflective, as if a shield can be put up.  I envision an old fashion trashcan lid lifted by its handle, with the underside of the lid pointed in the direction of the one who is talking TO me.  While it just might be semantics, the idea of having a conversation WITH someone sounds much more appealing to me, because it sounds like it will be an exchange of ideas instead of a directional flow of words (TO, or AT).

If you ever want to know if you are getting through, first determine which speech pattern you are using.  To take this one step further, have you ever had a conversation with God?  I believe that that is really what prayer is supposed to be, a conversation!  Do you chat with God or have a litany of "I want" or "I need" questions?  We saw a very telling “movie” clip in church the other day; they used the idea of a modern day prayer with Jesus taking place in a coffee shop.   The actor portraying Jesus is sitting waiting in the coffee shop, anticipating the arrival of His friend.  She breezes in late, like a whirling dervish, already going on about how she is sorry she is late, what was going on etc.  Finally she sits down and coffee is ordered.  Again, she starts in immediately going to requests, I would like this, and pray for that, and oh and so and so needs this.  This goes on for like an hour and it was an ADD one way conversation on a highly caffeinated level.  When she finally comes up for air, and just as the actor portraying Jesus, is about to speak, she looks down at her watch and says, “Oh my, look at the time, I’ve gotta go.” And off she goes.  Isn’t that an example of talking “to” someone?

We unfortunately don’t come with “user” manuals.  Too bad, I believe we all need them!  Everyone wants to be "loved" in a certain way, but unfortunately we don’t share how we'd like that to occur.  We expect others to read our minds.  We run a 50/50 chance of putting our needs out there and having them met, but if we don’t put them out there, we run a 100% chance of having them NOT met!  Same thing when we have a conversation with God.  Too many of us don’t “ask”, we “tell” God what we want.  The thing I’ve learned about conversations with God is that He can have 3 answers – Yes, No, or Wait.  And the thing with His answers, they are about the ultimate good and about His will.  What if what you want is mediocre in comparison to what He has planned in answer to your request?  Again, can you picture day after day, week after week just asking a friend for something you think you want or need, but never giving them a chance to answer?

I’m a parent.  When the kids were young and did bonehead things (yes they did), they would get a “talking to” and sometimes a thump on the backside!  Think I’m horrible if you must, but the thump was NOT a beating, and it was to emphasized the point!  The point being, the “talking to” was not open for debate, for example imagine being 5 and chasing a ball into the street in front of an oncoming car!  Get the picture?!  That was NOT open for debate.  I get the feeling that when someone talks "AT" someone, the person on the receiving end is off thinking about what else they wish they were doing!!! 

I enjoy conversing "with" those I'm in a relationship with.  I am not without the need of learning and when you "share" you offer the opportunity of gaining knowledge.  Another description just entered my mind.  I'm sitting in a lecture hall with the professor going on, in a monotone voice, ad nauseam. Hmmm! Now that I think about it, the classes I did best in, were the smaller interactive ones! 

Looking up!~Barb