“Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9:22b-23 NLT)

When I lived in Germany in the late 1990s, I spent most of my time at the Army base’s library. My then-husband worked and was out on maneuvers a lot, and I couldn’t find a job on the small base, so I had a lot of time to myself.

An older, retired Army man served as the base librarian. With his white hair shaped in a crew cut and his gruff demeanor, I felt intimidated by him. Sometimes, he was friendly, but more often than not, he would bark out a hello or glare at me when I entered the building. Even so, I didn’t stay away. The library was my refuge, and I wasn’t going to let a gruff old man keep me away.

Looking back, I realize that he was probably as lonely as I was. I learned over time that he wasn’t married, and his kids were grown and living their own lives. I’m not sure what he saw when he looked at me—a shy, homesick nineteen-year-old away from home for the first time.

The small library held only so many books, and as a fast reader, it didn’t take long before I’d read all the ones that sounded good to me. With a sense of dread, I knew there was only one thing left to do—I had to ask the librarian for recommendations.

All these years later, I still remember how his face lit up. He recommended several mysteries, including a series by an author that I read for many years after that. On subsequent trips to the library, he was friendly, making small talk and asking what I thought of the authors he’d recommended.

I’d grown up in a small town and graduated from high school with the same people with whom I’d started kindergarten. At that point in my life, I’d never met anyone quite so different from myself and with whom, at first glance, I had nothing in common. Besides the obvious differences in our age and gender, he had chosen a life in the military, even staying in a foreign country to continue to serve after his retirement. As a homebody, I just couldn’t imagine wanting such a life so far from home and everything familiar.

But by reaching out and finding common ground—our love of mysteries—I was able to connect with the man two generations and several worlds removed from mine, and I still remember the positive impact he had on me twenty years later. I can only hope someone will say the same about me someday.

Dear Jesus, help me to reach out and find common ground to connect with others. I pray that others will see you in me and that I will make a positive impact for your glory. Amen.