I’m a kiss and drive school mum. I tell everyone about it like a badge of honour but really it’s an acknowledgement of something I know needs some hefty work on my part. My husband isn’t a kiss and drive school Dad. In fact, he greets all the other Mums by name. He’s even attended a pub night with a bunch of blokes from our new school to discuss being a father. I’m tempted to side with sarcasm to describe his conversation skills with strangers, but if I’m honest, I’m completely jealous. He’ll tell you that it’s a decade on construction sites that allows him to speak to anyone about anything and nothing when required to.

I find small talk really boring. If I can help it, I avoid the question “What do you do?” because it’s clichéd and completely pre-loaded with judgment. Like, I’m going to know everything about you if you tell me that you’re a plumber. I want to know why you think you exist. Why does anyone even exist? How and why did we get here?

I like salty conversations and I don’t care much for anything else and that’s the problem.

There are probably a multitude of reasons why I lack courage to initiate conversation with strangers and all of them would validate why I don’t do it much, but one leads to the other. What I mean is, there are times for conversations about the big stuff and there are times to get out of the car and meet the parents. All of which, are equally important but you need one to have the other.

There is no categorising the worth of a conversation with someone, no matter how brief or how engaging it is.

God desires deep connection. Us with Him and us with each other. He has given us the Spirit to help us do just that but the Spirit springs into action when it is triggered by our words.

Words give life. God’s spirit gives the words life. You give life-giving words to others.

Surely a chat about the weather can’t bring life?

How else could you interpret a conversation about the weather, other than it being about the obvious?

“Words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting truths to those who are spiritual” – Corinthians 2:13

If this is true, then the words are not nearly as important as the spirit in which they are spoken. If introducing myself and telling someone that I’m a plumber (which I’m not by the way) allows me to connect with someone on a level that is beyond the actual words. Then why am I not getting out of the car?

I want to be that person who has salty conversations but I also want to be the one who talks about the weather with someone I hardly know.

If I could remember that through life-giving word exchanges, no matter what the content, God can show up and will show up, then perhaps tomorrow, I’ll get out of the car.