Elevator Conversations

Back when I used to work in the corporate world, riding the elevator was a daily occurrence. I worked as a receptionist in the lobby of a very tall building. (I think it was 15 stories.) And my husband-to-be worked on the 10th floor. So, we always took advantage of coffee and lunch breaks to meet up with each other. I was either riding the elevator to get to him or he was taking the ride down to get to me.

The elevator ride was not only the place I could escape from my desk for a few minutes, but it was also the place to catch up with people I knew. Other than the cafeteria, it was the one place you could have a personal conversation with someone. It was on elevator rides that I found out things like who's expecting a baby, or who's out of town, or whose mother just past away. We didn't need a water cooler in our building. We had an elevator. 

I don't ride an elevator everyday anymore, but I still find myself having these kind of 'elevator conversations' with folks in my day. I walk the dog and the neighbor tells me about a heartbreaking situation going on in his family. I'm get in line at a grocery store and happen upon someone I know. In just a few minutes, we share the headlines of our lives, (some good news, some bad news) and we move on in our day. I have even found myself having 'elevator conversations' with complete strangers. I happen to catch them in a frazzled state, and they start blurting out intimate information about their life to me. In a span of 2 minutes of meeting them, I know things that probably should only be shared among close friends. 

Short conversations. Snippets of information. Quick exchanges. These 'elevator conversations' may not seem like much. But over time, I have come to find that they are more important than they seem, and not accidental. As I abide with God, He helps me recognize that I am not just receiving this information about people's lives for nothing or by coincidence. These 'random' conversations are really not so random at all. They have purpose. Eternal purpose. God is allowing me to take a peek into someone's life, not for the purpose of gossip or feeling like I'm 'in the know', but so that I can then take all that information and turn it into prayers. He's giving me insight and including me in on the needs of those around me. He's letting me be an insider so I know what to specifically pray for and help carry people's burdens. And sometimes as I’m praying for them, He shows me how I can be a practical, hands-on help in their lives. Prayer turns into action.

I find it to be a very beautiful thing. God is trusting me with precious information about people's lives and it's up to me to decide what to do with it. Will I take it and then gossip with it? Will I use it to judge them? Will I use it for personal gain somehow? I hope I will always choose prayer.