I spent last weekend, Friday through Monday, in our new tasting room talking with guests about our wines and the Steinbeck Story. During the really busy times I was only able to communicate the very basics of the story – our wines, the family wine press from 1884, the historic musical instruments, the forge. When things slowed a bit communication changed – guests asked questions.  When I got one on one with guests in the old Jeep or in the yard we shared conversation about life in the vineyards, our family’s desire to continue farming, our hearts and our faith in Jesus. Their hearts opened up and they shared their passion through conversing with me.

Conversation goes much deeper than idle talk or mindless chatter. The content of conversation varies drastically, but the substance doesn’t. People share passion, understanding, knowledge, fears, vision, hopes and dreams. Substantive conversation engages heart and soul together with the mind. Our creator created us with the ability to communicate verbally, emotionally and physically in deep intimate conversation with one another. The marriage relationship has the God-given, God-intended potential for deep, intimate conversation often without saying a word. (Ladies, if you hold the opinion that your husband is not a good communicator, think about his frequent desire to communicate physically. This God-breathed gift has incredible potential for intimate communication!)

The potential for great injury is present with intimate conversation. Words can cause hurt and damage to relationships. How does Jesus heal? Through conversation. When my husband causes me offence or I cause him offence, the one causing the offence asks the other apologizes and asks for forgiveness, something that is really hard to ask for! The one offended speaks, “I forgive you in Jesus’ name.” This little statement is really challenging to get out of my mouth, but I do it because it is good and right! I behave the same way with all my friends and acquaintances, in fact I have an apology to make today and I pray that the person will forgive me in Jesus’ name. I pray that our conversation will be healing.

The Word became flesh; The Word changes conversation; The Word heals. Matthew says, “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases." Matthew 8:16-17 By his wounds we have been healed; by his Word we have been healed; by his Word, which we are called to speak, we heal.

If we don’t know how to speak the healing word, we are called to listen. Jesus calls us to be healed in our being through his healing conversation with us. The disciples on the road to Emmaus begged Jesus to stay with them because of the truth and healing conversation Jesus spoke (Luke 24). God’s word calls us to fellowship with one another, to find a person of the same sex (too many temptations with intimate conversation if the person is of the opposite sex) who can carry on deep, healing conversation in Christ’s name. We are called to listen to them, converse with them, receive, and be healed by The Word. By listening we learn to speak and we learn to be healers in Jesus’ name.

May God grant us courage to beg Christ into our conversations. May God grant us boldness to speak. May his peace that passes understanding guard our hearts in Christ Jesus’ healing conversation with us. Blessings IN Christ, Cindy

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