At the Reception.

Hello, Pat Davids, here.

I had a wonderful time at my niece's wedding a few weeks ago. I love weddings and I love socializing at the receptions, meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends and family. Now, if you must know, I'm terrible with names. Terrible. However, I'm pretty good with faces.

At this wedding reception I saw this tall, burly man with a full beard and something about him seemed so familiar. I walked over to his table with a big smile on my face and I said, "Hi, I think I know you."

Without blinking an eye, he said, "No, you don't."

Wow, talk about a conversation killer, but I'm persistent if nothing else. I said, "I used to be Pat Stroda (my maiden name) and I went to Chapman High School.

He said, "I'm Gary and I didn't." (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

He honestly did not seem to care who I was. Trying one more track, because I was sure I had met this man, I asked, "Do you work in Wichita?"

"No."

Sighing in complete defeat, I said, "Then you are a perfect stranger, aren't you?"
That got a smile at last and even a small chuckle. His wife thought it was really cute.

I ran into her when I was leaving and told her to tell the "perfect stranger" goodbye. I need not have bothered. He was waiting by the door.

His eyes grew bright, he smiled and held out his hands. "Hey, aren't you Pat who went to school in Chapman?"

"Yes," I cried. "Aren't you Gary who didn't go there?'

Oh, we both had a good laugh. I pulled out a postcard with a list of my upcoming titles and told him, "Now we'll never be strangers again."

A nice story, but it didn't end there. Several days later, I got an e-mail from the "perfect strangers" wife. She had been telling the story and mentioned that I was an author to her book club. Several of them had heard of me, and low and behold, I've been invited to be their guest speaker in December. What fun.

There really is no such thing as a perfect stranger. Only friends we haven't met yet.

What's your stranger to friend story. I know we all have them.

You Be the One

Hi Debra Clopton here--finally! Running a bit late getting this posted today. I've recently started visiting a new church...a Cowboy Church actually--they are really growing around here in Texas and I think they are wonderful. But, anyway, I love my old church, I have the most wonderful friends there who have been with me through so much and I love them all dearly. But my life is evolving and sometimes we have to move where God leads us. That being said, I'm making new friends where I'm visiting and I people reaching out to me in friendship and I'm doing the same. I feel blessed and invigorated by the prospects. But that being said, I realize just as I did when I joined my other church ten years ago (it was also in a building process and I felt I could be a part of that) which is how I'm feeling about this new spot--anyway, I realize that to feel at home and really build friendships I have to do my part. I have to join in and participate, and become a friend myself.

So I guess where I'm going with this post is to this...I once had someone comment to me that she wished she had good friends like I did at my church and in my life. I told her that the secret to it was to get involved and to reach out herself. I hope if others out there are looking for friends like she was that you'll be the instigator of finding it. Believe me there are many people in churchs who are looking for a friend, they just aren't making the first contact to take aquaintice the next level--YOU be the one. Step out there and let God use you to be that friend that someone needs- I can promise you it will enrich your life. It has mine :)