Start Talking

You can’t finish something you never start.

Shocking, I know.

Procrastination isn’t just something we do with homework. Instead, it haunts every area of our lives. Conversations can happen tomorrow. Coffee dates are scheduled for next week. Dinners are planned for next month.

But tomorrow becomes a week. A week becomes a month, and a month becomes a year. In the end, it never ends up happening.

We run out of chances.

Because life is short, isn’t it? Full of ups and downs—twists and turns we don’t see coming. That person you took for granted is gone in an instant. The girl you were too nervous to speak to moves miles away, and you didn’t even get a phone number. The boy you always meant to hang out with transfers schools. Or worst of all, death steps in before you do and finishes something you never started.

In the wake of loss, you are forced to live, regretting every missed opportunity.

Your every evening doesn’t have to include dinner with friends and a coffee date. You don’t have to be an unbridled socialite. But you do have to start a conversation. Initiate a friendship. Say “hello.” Smile at people you know—and at those you don’t! Be available. Be present.

Even introverts are called to love others. Even those who are shy or awkward are commanded to love others. To love is the first and greatest commandment! Without charity, we are nothing. And although your impact may not seem meaningful, you will never know the difference you’ve made in one person’s life. You don’t need to befriend thousands. One is enough.

But you can never make an impact if you don’t start talking.

It doesn’t take much. Just a simple greeting. A quick, “How are you?” Because you never know what other people are going through, your kindness could mean everything to them.

This year, reach out. Speak up. Let the love of Jesus Christ fill your heart so that it overflows into everyone you meet. In His love, find courage. With courage, start talking.

Start something before it is too late. You don’t know what a day holds. It could be your last chance.

It’s time to quit procrastinating and start talking.