friendly chatting

She walked in silently, keeping her head down as she passed me. I looked up from my current task, paused long enough to exchange the customary greeting - hola - then returned to slicing the fresh cantaloupe on the counter before me. We stood silent next to one another - a mere yard separating us, yet a seemingly infinite chasm between us; she in her world and me in mine. Many minutes passed before I broke the silence.

"So, how are you doing?" I asked in Spanish.
"Bien." "Good," she replied sheepishly.
I pressed farther, "do you like it here?" I asked again in Spanish.
"Si." "Yes," she almost inaudibly answered.
"Wow, this is going to be tough," I thought as I tried again to engage one of our hosts in a friendly conversation. "Do you live here?" I asked in Spanish.
"Si - vive en la casa alli" "Yes, I live in the house over there," she said pointing.

The conversation then took off - I asked about her family, hobbies, and interests. She asked the same, and before I knew it, she was offering me a plate, forks, and napkins for the cantaloupe. A smile now replaced the timid fear she had when entering the room.

I left the room a few minutes later, her accommodations in tow, and smiled as she began to hum while she wiped the last of the dishes. "THIS is why we came here - to bless others and merely befriend them." I had nearly let the moment pass, stuck in my own world, refusing to reach out and be friendly. It was then that I realized the impact that a mere less-than-fluent conversation can have on two people. And to be honest, I believe I came away more blessed than her - all because I stepped out of my comfort zone and followed the urging of the Lord. Isn't he amazing? =)