How are you?

It's a simple question with a very vague response. Most Americans when asked the above question would say, "I'm good." Occasionally someone may respond with, "I'm doing alright," or "I'm okay," and that's about as deep as it gets. We ask this question of others out of courtesy, yet very few times do we truly care to hear the response. If you asked someone how they were doing and they responded with, "I'm having a horrible day," you'd feel obligated to stop, ask questions, and maybe even offer words of encouragement. Who has time for that?

Okay, so maybe that last part was slightly sarcastic, but in all honesty, how often do you genuinely care what the response is when you ask, "How are you?" Just the other day, I was walking through the store and an old high school classmate was coming toward me. I thought about dodging into a nearby aisle, but it was too late; she had already seen me! (Please tell me, I'm not the only one who does that.) As she walked by, I smiled and said hello. Then she asked the question, "How are you?" I responded exactly how you'd expect..."I'm doing well. How are you?" Only, I didn't hear her response. As I turned to look, she had already walked on by and was grabbing an item off the shelf behind me. Apparently, she didn't want to talk to me anymore than I cared to talk with her. 

Last evening, this question brought on a new meaning, or maybe it was a reminder of ponderings I'd previously had. As I was seated at the table during our school's community fish fry, someone asked the elderly man across from me the aforementioned question. He responded with, "I'm blessed!" My heart felt warm, and I could feel a smile growing on my face. It reminded me of Peru and the response given there when asked 'the question'. Christian Peruvians tend to answer honestly; then whether doing well or horrible, they tack on "pero todo bien gracias a Dios." (But everything is good, thanks to God.)

Wow! How often do we stop to think about the blessings God has poured out on our lives? How many times do we stop to thank God for the good (and bad) that He is doing around us? Even on the worst days, a Christian Peruvian, living a 3rd world lifestyle, is able to see God's hand in each situation. Then there's me, "I'm good!" wishing to dodge the question altogether...no honesty, no God-recognition, nothing but a simple, "I'm doing well."

It almost makes me sick to consider how much we have handed to us here in the great U.S.of.A, and too often we (myself included) don't ever stop to count our blessings. It's easier to focus on what we don't have, what we can't do, and ways life could be better, than to be grateful for the abundance we've already been given. 

How are you? - It's a question with a generally vague response, but it shouldn't be that way. It needs to become a conversation starter with a Christ centered response. It shouldn't just be a casual greeting in the grocery store, but it should be an honest question with an honest response.