Destination #2: Asheville, NC

Until I get some pictures posted I am going to avoid giving bland details about our every move, but I do want to give you the highlights. Our Asheville highlight may seem a bit unexpected--it was not the beautiful landscape of the Great Smokey Mountains reaching as far as the eye could see, or the splendor of the Biltmore estate; nor was it the incredible dinner we had at The Early Girl Eatery.  Instead the highlight of our time in Asheville was the time spent with the owners of our little B & B, Larry and Nancy Merrill.   

 

The Merrills are truly one of the friendliest couples I have ever met and are excellent at what they do. What I love most about staying in a bed and breakfast is the awkward, spontaneous conversation that you have with random people who you have never met and will never see again. I mean it is quite humorous to wake up, roll out of bed, and come to the breakfast table with complete strangers. Some people might even feel a little sick at their stomach just thinking about the awkwardness of this setting, but I believe this is a situation we should place ourselves in more often. In fact, I would say that as believers we should be on the lookout for times of unplanned conversation with people that we don't even know. How else will we ever learn about people enough to reach them with the good news of the gospel? The more I think about it the more I'm amazed at how isolated my life as a minister really is from the world. I mean sure I go to Starbucks and Panara a lot but typically I find myself, even in those settings, surrounded by a normal circle of friends. I believe that I can learn a lot from my new friends Larry and Nancy, people who truly just love other people.