The Power of Simple Words

 "Do you want to sit with me?"

The friend who asked me that question likely had no idea how impactful those seven words would be.

A simple question that we would normally just assume. A simple question that we likely don't notice the significance of most of the time.

The conversation that led to that question happened in a church sanctuary before a service. In the big picture of all my years in church, there's really nothing unusual about this interaction. 

So, why was it so significant this time?

It was  reminder of the importance of the little things when it comes to making people feel included and welcomed. These very simple things can make the difference for someone in how they experience things.

Church has felt very different for many of us since coming back after COVID restrictions. And for me, this has primarily been noticed in the fact that none of the close friends I used to sit with in church are there - for many different reasons. Sitting in the same area I used to sit in now means being surrounded by people I don't know well, if at all. Their faces are beginning to become familiar, but they're still mostly people who I only know by name.

That has made it easy to feel invisible, alone.

Not because people aren't friendly, but because I feel like I don't know them and they don't know me.

It's made me a lot more conscious of how I respond to people I see at church. The things I say or don't say can have an impact on what someone's experience is. And that means it's important.

And aware of how I talk to those I know, but maybe not as well. Sometimes a simple invitation to sit together could be the difference.

That Sunday evening service when I friend, who I hadn't seen in a while, asked if I wanted to sit with her, made a difference for me. I wasn't totally sure I wanted to be there that night. I was tired . . . and I was tired of going to church and sitting alone. In seven words, my friend changed my experience that night.

And, it can be a simple choice to just make an offer to someone. We have to be intentional, but it's not always a big thing that's needed.

What are the words of invitation, welcome, care that you can offer to those you interact with through-out your day?