Dear Friends,
Many of you will be gathered
around a table on Christmas enjoying the day with family and friends.
There is nothing like sitting around an able sharing a meal together to
create a strong connection's climate.
Table talk provides a
wonderful way to get to know someone better. This is why asking questions plays
such an important role in developing and deepening relationships.
My wife Jean earned
the title of the "Sharing Queen." Wherever and whenever she found
herself in a group of people, she was always quick to offer a sharing question
that would stimulate conversation and enable those in the group to get to know each
other better.
She was good at it,
and even if she sometimes took some good-natured ribbing, most people would
agree that her contribution was always a significant one, and because of it,
people were drawn closer to one another.
Jean loved sharing
question's so much that she put together a packet of them that she could draw
from at any meeting she attended.
A few weeks ago, I
attended a small group meeting which began with a sharing question.
Our group leader asked,
"What was the kindest act that was ever done for you?"
Simple, concise, and non-threatening,
the question evoked revealing and heart felt responses from everyone in the
group.
After the meeting I
told our leader that I felt that her sharing question took our group to a new
level. One question had helped positively change the relational climate of our
group.
Jesus knew the value of asking
questions, and He asked a lot more of them than He answered.
Being omniscient, He didn't need to
ask questions to discover the answers, for He already knew those answers before
He asked them. He asked questions to get people thinking and to teach, test,
rebuke and proclaim truth. Those questions would often take conversations to a
new and deeper level.
One researcher discovered He asked
over 300 questions during the course of His ministry.
Jesus asked "If you greet your
brother only, what is unusual about that? Do not unbelievers do the same?
(Matthew 5: 47); Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?"(John 8: 46);
"Will you really lay down your life for me?" (John, 13: 38); Don't
you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?" (John 14:
9-10) were just a few of the many questions He asked.
This year on my
Christmas vacation, I plan to bring with me that packet of sharing questions
that Jean had developed. And as all of our children and grandchildren gather to
celebrate our Christmas vacation on those Colorado ski slopes, you can be sure
Jean's presence will be felt as we open her packet of sharing question and pick
a few of her favorites for some down-home Christmas table talk.
Asking questions is a wonderful
way to connect with both strangers and friends alike, and it is a valuable step
in building more personal and intimate relationships that can open the door to
deeper and more meaningful times of spiritual sharing.
What's question might
you ask as you gather around your Christmas table this year? Jean has provided
a few suggestions below that you might like to consider.
Yours in faith and
friendship,
Tom
A Few of Jean's Questions
Who do you know that I
should know?
What do you miss about
being a kid?
When was the last time
you were nervous?
What story does your
family always tell about you?
Have you ever had
something happen to you that you thought was bad, but it turned out to be for
the best?
What would you name
the autobiography of your life?
What's the best or
worst gift you've ever received?
If you could choose
anyone, who would you choose to be your mentor?
What was your favorite
food as a child?
And finally, my
favorite, who is the most important person in your life (a question that
provides an opportunity for you to talk about Jesus.
And let me offer a final
suggestion. Don't forget to follow up and take your question a step further by
asking the word "Why?" following the answer Why did you answer as they
did will often take the sharing to an even deeper and more personal level.
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