Conversations in the _________(you fill in the blank).

Have you ever been in a situation where you were trying to help someone or be there for someone, perhaps minister to someone in need or hurting, but found that you got more out of it than they might have. What I mean is you got as much out of the situation as the person you were attempting to help. That happened to me today...twice actually. The first was visiting someone in the hospital as they awaited possible surgery. The faith and trust evident in that person's life was amazing to say the least. It makes you think about how we get caught up with trivial things all day long, and lose sight of some of the most precious moments and ultimately miss glimpses of grace in our lives and the world around us. The second was one conversation in particular, but really several I had today, some brief, some not so brief, that reminded me how thankful I am to have those people in my life. Conversations shared in the midst of a hectic day, a noisy coffeehouse, through a phone as both parties are working on other things, and at the end of long day after getting children put to bed bring joy, hope, and peace. It's not necessarily the conversations themselves, but the relationships they represent that like the sunrise coming up on the lake on an early morning fishing trip, remind us of God's goodness and love. I am thankful for the conversations, the people they represent, and the God who makes it all make sense.